Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: The Phoenix Emblem
by Flubby48
Summary: Somethings can't be stopped, like the death of Phoenix's mother or her sister or the friendship that sprouted from her near death experience. Now, when things start to crumble around her world, she comes to realize that sometimes hope is easier in death.
1. Chapter 1:The Forest

**Chapter 1: The Forest**

_Voices were whispering in her ears. "Come, you know what you want." _

"_Don't you see it?" a familiar voice echoed in her ear._

"_Ciera." Phoenix muttered, startled, as she turned to her dead sister. _

"_Don't you see it?" Ceira nodded back up at the moon that she had once aspired to go to. "I'm going to go there. I'll meet our father, I'll bring him home."_

* * *

><p>"Come on, Phe," my mother nudged me awake, daring to flit one of her tails across my face. There was an urgency in her voice: A rare thing to hear. Normally my mother had a fairly calm disposition. Something was wrong.<p>

Curiosity and a tense energy swept over my face as I sat up silently tensing my muscles for whatever was coming.

Slowly, my mother responded in a tense murmur that was hardly audible. "Follow me," she forced out not wanting to disturb anything. "—and stay quiet." She snapped as I stepped on a twig.

Tensely, I followed my mother who had one of her tails wrapped around my neck. What was going on?

"They went this way… not too long ago," said a voice that was only too familiar: Daisy, an unwelcome voice.

"Good… she's close." The chief replied, my mother's former mate, stopping me dead in my tracks. He sounded relaxed, which was anything but good with him, normally being a fiery man. "Alert the others, nothing will stand in the way this time."

Those last words sent a shiver down my spine. Thankfully, I didn't have time to acknowledge it. My mother was already dragging me away. We would be moving quietly, slowly, and if Arceus was smiling down on us, we might get away. The last time we barely made it out, so I wasn't sure about our chances here, however.

"I can smell them," the chief murmured with a lust that I had only heard once before, the day my sister died. It scared me, knowing his intentions.

"Phoenix," my mother snapped me out of my thoughts as we tiptoed, careful to stay downwind. Not that it mattered, Daisy was the best smeller that the clan had had in, and if she was good at smelling one thing, it was fear. She didn't care who got hurt, as long as she got the job done. No matter to the deaths involved.

"Be careful about tracking them," Naomi, my mother's sister, spoke up, "We might startle them into running away." The fact that she was here meant that most of the clan was here, and that we were being hunted like prey. Even family was in on it, now.

My mother taking the hint that Naomi had thrown out there for us, picked up the pace, still careful to be quiet. It was more dangerous, running. There was always the chance that someone would hear us and then we really would be finished, but running was our best choice given the circumstances. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.

Almost inaudibly, a twig broke to my right. "Mother…" I warned, but by then it was too late. While we were trying to get away quietly, the clan had been moving in around us. We were doomed from the start.

Loyalty was the law that my mother had broken by falling in love with my father. For so many years, her assigned mate thought that we were his. He said so every night and day, but my mother knew, and my sister knew, and I knew. Now, my mother would pay for her sin, and so would I. I would die because I existed, nothing more, nothing less.

Finally, he came out: the chief, my murderer, my father, and I knew what he was going to do as well as he did.

My mother growled a low, chest growl. A grow of warning, of protest, and in a way, pleading. She knew his intentions.

"You knew better than to run," was all he said as he slammed her muzzle into the jagged ground adorned with stones with his paw. With a cold satisfaction, he continued ", It would have been so much easier had you stayed. Maybe only one would have died."

Moving his paw from her head to her throat, he continued ", maybe, she would have lived."

"Just because she's not yours, doesn't mean that you have to kill her, Jonathon," my mother pleaded. Meeting my eyes, she looked at me, her beautiful brown eyes tearing up as if to say goodbye.

Then, he spoke ", Actually ,Rose, it does," and with that, he stepped on her throat, claws and all. As the light left her eyes, a smug satisfaction crossed his, and I just stood there, numb.

"Run," an echo met my ear so soft that I wasn't ever sure that I had heard it. It was my mother.

Suddenly, the reality of the situation crashed over me. My mother was dead, and I was next. Understanding what I had to do, I started backing up. I could not fight this enemy, not yet. As Jonathon's eyes met mine, I turned into a dead sprint him right on my tracks. Where was the clan? Were they close?

The next few seconds flashed by in a blur of him chasing me down and me yelping as he snapped at me. How long had it been? Seconds? Minutes? She was dead, I reminded myself as I tripped and fell belly up. As he closed in, all I could think was: _She's dead. She's dead._ As the darkness of him closed in upon me, that was all I could think_. Mother. She's dead. I'm dead._

As his jaw closed in around my neck, death came. My last sensation was the wind in my pelt as it took me away.


	2. Chapter 2: The Realization

**Chapter 2: The Realization**

As light first broke past my eyelids, the first thing I noticed about death was that it didn't feel like death. I had always imagined death as senseless, timeless. This was just the opposite. I could smell something sweet in the air, and there was a chill running down my spine despite the abnormally warm temperature in the air. Death felt just like life. Even my neck stung where Jonathon had bitten. Jonathon. Mother. Ciera. My eyes shut, I whimpered. They were gone.

Suddenly, the world closed in around me. It hurt to move, much less think. They were gone, and I wasn't. I was tethered to my prison.

"Is it… dead?" someone murmured to my left. The voice seemed young, and nervous.

"It… maybe…" another replied with a slightly higher voice that shook. "I'll… I'll go get help."

"I'll go with you," a third murmured before racing off in pursuit of the other.

Yet another walked forward, as if to examine. I tensed. The sheer amount of people watching me was making me nervous not even considering their intentions. Unwilling to draw more attention to myself, I stifled a growl.

"Don't worry, we've got help on the way; until then, try to stay still," there a leader-like tone in his voice that reminded me of Jonathon. I didn't like it, but I hardly had any choice in the matter given the circumstances, and so I held still. At least they seemed like they didn't want to hurt me.

I hated feeling helpless, but there was nothing that I could do as the Kadabra tried to perform first-aid. "At least it isn't as bad as it looks," he observed as he applied some sticky substance that made it burn. "Must've been some fight."

"Um…" the first voice murmured again. "How do we know that vulpix is not a rogue?" He sounded almost hopeful, like he'd been hoping that one of his 'more civilized' couldn't be hurt like this. He was wrong.

Giving me a confused look, the Kadabra replied to the Pokémon behind me ", It's not." I growled at the medicine that he was trying to give me. "Although it's acting like it, can't you speak?"

I shut up; blackness was closing in around my vision anyway. The faster that this was done, the better. Honestly, I'd rather go die in a hole than be the subject of their kindness. Actually, I'd rather go die in a hole than anything else right now anyway.

"Will it be okay?" The same distant, shy voice spoke up.

Ignoring the younger, the Kadabra continued to work with what was now the dead skin around my neck. After sometime, I zoned out. The Kadabra was intent on his work, and I was intent on being irritated with him. It made more sense that I not pay attention.

"How did you get here anyway?" he spoke up once again. I just looked at him trying to muster a glare, but all that came was bewilderment in my haze. How did I get here? Remaining silent, I just listened to the darkening forest.

"I wonder what's taking them so long…" the Kadabra voiced his concern leaning back on his heals after some time "… normally Saige gets through fairly quickly."

In response, the younger said nothing, unsure of how to respond. His tone seemed to be getting more and more nervous as time went on as he stuttered over words that just seemed to be pouring out of his mouth.

Eventually, help came, though I couldn't tell who or from where. All that I knew was that they were around me, trying hard not to make any wrong moves.

The same small voice penetrated my fading consciousness ", she will be okay? Won't she?" he repeated his question.

"Most likely," a deeper voice replied as they leaned over me.

"You mean –"

"These things take time to heal, only time would tell," he responded shuffling in something, and proceeding to shove it into my pelt. "Until then, all we can do is wait."

And with that, I faded into a numb sleep, being overtaken by the darkness that had been looming for hours.


	3. Chapter 3: Safe and Sound

**Chapter 3: Safe and Sound**

"_He's not here…" Ciera whispered almost inaudibly. "Mother, he's not here."Ciera had been looking forward to meeting our father as we had every full moon when the chief was away. _

_Forbidden love was what my mother would say when we asked why we couldn't see him more. _

"_Something's probably just keeping him," my mother replied wrapping her gentle tail around Ciera. _

_It was then that I saw an almost unperceivable figure approaching, and two smaller figures bounding toward it with spunk. "Hi Daddy!" Ciera welcomed in her squeaky pup voice, but something was wrong. All that I head was a click, and she was gone. _

"_Ciera!" I cried into the suffocating night, unsure of what was happening. _

_The chief's eyes glowed red in the moonlight, reflecting the blood of lust on his muzzle. The blood of my mangled sister. _

_He just stood there, staring at me, as if time stood still. He killed her. She's dead. Lightning flashed, then things started moving. _

"_Wake up,"' a whisper echoed in my ear as I dodged to the right._

"_Jonathon!" My mother shrieked in terror, and agony. "Jonathon! Stop!"_

"_Wake up," the soothing voice came in. I dodged. _

"_Stop!" My mother cried again as lightning crashed and the water started to pour from the clouds. "No! Please! Stop!"_

_Lightning. "Phoenix! Run!" Dodge. _

"_Wake up," A familiar voice called into my thoughts. _

_My mother lunged. A surge of power. Lightning. Yelps. Blood. Anger. Escape. All that was left was a pair of icy eyes and the smoke of a fire when we got away. Now, that was all but a terrible memory, lost to the others to the weight of dreams._

* * *

><p>I woke with a start, my heart pounding in my chest and the scene just fading from my eyes. I was trembling from the chills that were running down my spine. That hardly could be considered a dream.<p>

"Look," a female voice from outside said ", maybe you should go home. That sedative that May gave her was strong. I don't think that she'll be up for a few hours."

"Yes, Ms. Grace," the same young voice called from before," It's just… they don't have anyone else waiting for them. I don't even know if her parents know that she is here."

"Well, you're free to wait. I have to tend to someone else. Try not to disturb her sleep, she has to heal."

"Thank you," and with that a Riolu walked into the room and plopped down on a chair with a heavy sigh. "Sorry to just walk in," he started speaking unaware that I was awake, "Just wanted to make sure you were alright. I didn't expect to see someone hurt." There was a distinct change in his voice that make it seem light-hearted and more youthful, "It's just—exploring is so much fun. I hope that you're all right." With that, he suppressed a laugh that was pitifully unsatisfied, but happy at the same time.

"I'm alright," I choked out the words almost involuntarily.

Startled, he turned to me, not quite sure of whether I had heard all that. "I didn't wake you."

Unsure if that was a statement or a question, I replied ", No."

"Good," I looked away not wanting to see his reaction. I was expecting the worst. Surprisingly, he didn't seem angry when I looked back. He only seemed concerned.

"Why were you there?" he asked prodding. For some reason, he seemed fragile.

Turning back to me he laughed, and as if reading my mind, he responded ", I was exploring with some friends. You were at the end of the dungeon, so we ran for help. It was terrible! We didn't know if you were ok. Remember?"

The thing that stuck me odd was that I didn't. There was hardly anything from then that I could remember, just a small voice, and an empty feeling. An empty feeling…

Interrupting my thoughts, he continued ", Look, I don't know if Grace will like it, but if you should move you should come with me," he said pacing to the door. "My name's Jace. Who are you?"

"Phoenix," was all I said as I wandered out the door after him. This was going to be an interesting friendship.


	4. Chapter 4: The Fountain

**Chapter 4: The Fountain**

"Where exactly are we going again?" I asked as I flinched away from yet another pedestrian bumping up against me. I was never bad with crowds, but the amount of people here was more than I had ever seen; it made me feel like I was suffocating.

Stifling a laugh, Jace weave through the market place ", You're not from around here, are you?"

I growled as some child pulled one of my tails, trying not to be too loud.

"You can tell. Almost everyone around here is used to the weekly rush here. It always gets kinda crazy."

Muttering my agreement, I jumped again, trying to avoid the eyes of the young child that was set on murdering my integrity. Thankfully, he did not seem like he had been following. Actually, thinking about it, the child might have only been someone stepping on my tail. Just the same, it was putting me on edge. _'Why did I follow him here?'_

_ 'You don't have anywhere else to go—'_a voice of reason echoed in my ear. _'Shut up' _I snarled internally.

"Here we are!" Jace shouted over the roar of the crowd. We had made our way to the middle of the square, where a fountain stood tall pouring water into the surroundings. It was oddly beautiful, and it had an almost mystical quality to it. Looking to Jace, I tried to figure out why he had taken me here.

"This is my favorite place in the town. Everyone walks around it 'cause the kids like to play here."

It was true; it struck me that no one was bumping up against me anymore. Actually, it was somewhat relaxing despite the crowds and small children that were running around.

Walking closer to the fountain, I noticed that there were multiple levels to it, each dispersing a mist from the water spilling over the edges as one got closer, like circular waterfalls. The fountain itself was a multi-colored stone that seemed to be inscribed with ancient patterns, and the water was crystal clear. It looked almost looked like the water was glowing off of the late afternoon sunlight, like there was something else in the water, something magical.

Turning around, I noticed that Jace had a coin in his hand that he then threw into the water, which I didn't understand, but it seemed to serve a purpose as it dissolved into the fountain when he threw it.

"Would you like to?" he turned to me holding another coin, as if he knew something I did not ," I have more."

Unsure, I took the coin from him with a nod and turned to face the fountain stiffly.

"Well," he laughed ,"throw it!"

And so, with one last look at the coin, I tossed it into the fountain and watched it dissolve like Jace's.

"So, what'd you wish for?" Jace inquired as I turned back to see if I had done that right. _'Wish?'_ "Come on, you must have wished for something!" '_I was supposed to make a wish?'_

"Oh, um, nothing," I stammered trying not to sound like I didn't know something.

Not showing any signs of recognizing my discomfort, Jace just proceeded to walk me through the crowd that was only increasing my sensitivity of having my tail messed with. "You know, legend says that that fountain was made by Jirachi. It was made to offer hope in a dark time."

"I've never heard that story," I replied. There was so much that I did not know about fountains.

"Hm…" Jace paused in a less crowded area of town. "You don't have a place to stay, do you?"

"I… no…" I realized.

"It'll be dark soon," he trailed off mid-thought. "There's a motel down the road that might be open. I know the Innkeeper… that might work."

Thus, before I knew it, we were being led to a small creaky room that looked like no one had used in at least a decade. At least it was free -to both us and the cobwebs.

"Thank you!" Jace called as the old Mismagius latched the door and left. "Well, it might not be much, but it works. Ms. Margret has been a family friend for a while now, always comes through when we need help. My mother helped her out of a fix a while ago. I guess she's still trying to make up for it now."

I nodded my head in understanding. The room wasn't large, but there was space. Two musty beds were crammed against the back wall below a window and there was a bathroom attachment that was screaming 'Closet', but other than that, the room was empty.

"You hungry?" Jace grunted as he collapsed onto one of the beds. Creating a cloud of dust.

"No, thanks," I replied as I curled into a ball on the other bed, ignoring a urge to cough from the dust.

"Thanks for hanging out with me today, Phoenix. I haven't been the fountain in a long time. It was really busy, but I guess that that's the square for you," Jace said as he settled into the bed. "That reminds me," he sat up ,"You don't know the legend of the fountain, do you? No, of course you don't."

And so I sat as he relayed a story of a star, and hope, and evil, and eventually, I faded into a sleep.

"Good night, Phoenix," was the last thing that I remembered hearing that night. Overall, it hadn't been a bad day.


	5. Chapter 5: The Rope Swing

**Chapter 5: The Rope Swing**

I yawned a yawn that was full as I got up the next morning. I had a nice sleep, almost dreamless. Only one thing was troubling. Jonathon. Did he know that I was alive? Was I being hunted? Shaking my head clear of the troublesome thought, I stretched and sat up in my bed. Jace was gone.

"Oh, you're up!" he called from the doorway as it clicked behind him. "I didn't know when you'd be up, so I grabbed an apple from downstairs for you… if you want something else, we can go back and get something…" he added hastily seeing my shock.

"No, that's great! Thank you," I replied as he tossed the apple to my feet. I hadn't expected to be given food. Usually, I had to get my own. Taking a tentative bite, I looked up cautiously to see if it was alright to eat. Apparently it was, because Jace had already started cramming his apple into his mouth, and so I dug in. That had been easily the best apple I had ever had.

"How'd you sleep?" Jace acknowledged my existence again as he swallowed the last of his. Noticing me still eating, he proceeded, "So, I was thinking that we might go to the forest today, I know a spot right on the river that would be fun… err… that is, if you wanted to…" he trailed off.

It was odd, he was already acting like we had been friends, and I guess we were, of course, I'd never really had a real friend anyway… "Erm…sure," I relied slowly as I finished my apple. There could be no harm in having some fun. That was something that I hadn't had in a long time.

Brightening up, Jace, more or less, dragged me out of the motel against my will and into the warm, late-spring morning.

"Hey, Jace," a friendly voice intoned behind us.

"Oh! Hey, Riley!" Jace greeted the newcomer. Turning around, what stood behind me was what looked like a cross between an eight and a rock, and a small bug that looked like it had had a few too many caffeine shots in the past five minutes. "What are you two doing away from the guild?"

"Gave us a break," Riley replied, clearly excited ", first that we've had in forever, we were just heading over to the river to – Carly!"

In the short time that it had taken for Riley to get absorbed in the conversation, the bug had managed to slip away and start circling me as if taking in every aspect of the unfamiliar face. Finally, she ended up in front of me staring me straight in the eyes at an uncomfortably close distance intently examining my retinas. "What's _your _name," she said dreamily as if I were some super fascinating pet or something.

Staring back at her equally blue eyes, I furrowed my brow in discomfort. "Err… Phoenix…"

"Carly!" Riley called patiently waiting for his partner to come back. Joyously, the bug danced back in something that looked like a mix between a skip and the mambo. "Sorry about my partner, she can be a bit… umm… erratic."

"Uh, don't worry about it…" I stuttered.

"Oh, sorry, Phoenix, this is Riley the Roggenrola and that's his partner, Carly the Joltic. They train at the guild not too far from here," Jace interjected.

"Nice to meet you," the Roggenrola greeted offering a rock's equivalent of a handshake. Carly's eyes lit up as a fly buzzed around her head.

"You too," I replied respectfully nodding my head at the bug that was running away after some speck of dust that she must have seen.

Looking back at Carly, if a rock could have rolled his eyes, Riley did. "Don't worry about her, she'll catch up eventually." As if on cue, the bug realized where she was and trotted back to Riley's side.

"So you said that you were heading to the river?" Jace cut in realizing that this conversation was going nowhere after I just nodded my head and offered an awkward smile that suited.

"Oh, yeah! You remember that spot on the edge of the river that we would always hang out at? Well, we thought we'd head there for a while."

"Mind if we join you?" Jace jumped at the opportunity.

Exchanging a look, the duo just smiled at Jace and Carly nodded her head vigorously. Suddenly, I could see how they were partners, though I doubt he calmed her down any. At least I hoped he didn't seeing how small her attention span was.

"Great!" Jace was obviously pleased by this outcome. I get the sense that that was where we were going anyway.

The walk there was relatively short, especially after Carly stole Jace's bag and we chased her all the way there to get it back. By the time that we got there, Jace had doubled up laughing and was on the floor trying to catch his breath as he played tug of war with Carly.

"Give. It. Back!" he managed to force out in between his laughing. Riley just looked like he wasn't sure if he should be laughing or helping out some way or another. Carly eventually let go, though, so it didn't seem like it was necessary.

Catching his breath, Jace managed to stand up from the floor while restraining snorts that were slowing down.

"Wow, I haven't been here in forever," Riley said as he walked to the rope swing that was at the edge of the clearing that we had found ourselves in. The clearing was fairly small; it just jutted out a little way from the water's edge. We were at a particularly wide part of the river that went down fairly far, so it seemed like an ideal place to place a rope swing, especially since there was a cliff that sloped down so one could jump from high and get back on the grassy land without climbing around too much. Jace himself already seemed intent on jumping from the rope swing, and to tell the truth, so was I. Of course, we had already been beaten us to the punch as the electric bug leapt onto the rope and swung out over the water before jumping into the river head first.

"Hey!" Jace shouted as he charged for the swing and leapt without second thoughts. He landed not too far into the water; he managed to splash Carly who seemed to think that a war had been started a she relentlessly splashed Jace back.

Hesitantly, I grabbed the swing as it swung back.

"Come on, Phe!" Jace called trying not to swallow the river", The water's not that cold!" Looking down I suddenly noticed how far the water was.

"Come on!" Carly echoed as Jace dove beneath the water. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself to jump, though I never did get a chance to as Riley run up behind me and tackled me into the air, and before I had a chance to react, I was already flying farther and farther out until I touched the water. In startled, frantic paddles, I swam back toward the shore only to see Riley jumping right off the cliff himself and tumbling down the rocks as he flipped into the water screaming "Cannon Ball!"

Angrily, I swam over and dunked him back under as he came up only to be tackled into the water by Carly who was giggling, and we started wrestling each other down as Jace splashed us. Soon, the fight dissolved into a playful splash match, and by the time we were done playing, we were laughing and breathless in the shallows after Riley jumped and landed in the middle of us throwing us all back.

That had easily been the most fun I had ever had.

"You guys hungry?" Riley asked still laughing as he pulled himself out of the water.

"Sure, what you got?" I replied as I shook myself off. It was easily past lunch time by the time that we got out of the water.

"The sandwiches!" Carly shouted as she dragged the uncooperative Jace, that had earlier proclaimed that he was a fish, out of the water. Tossing Carly, Jace (who was still acting as if he were dying), and I a sandwich, Riley sat down and we dug into the delicious morsels that he had given us.

"So, Phoenix, where are you from? I haven't seen you around," Riley inquired in between bites.

"Well…" I started awkwardly before Jace interjected.

"I met Phoenix just outside town," Jace finished slowly. I just stared at Jace, confused. Was he covering for me? He didn't even know where I was from.

"Oh," Riley concluded trying to mask his suspicion.

"Thanks for the sandwiches," I said after some time. I couldn't help but get the feeling that Riley knew something about how we met that Jace left out.

"Oh, yeah," Riley snapped out of his thoughts, "actually, Carly made them, why she made so many though…" If a rock could smile, Riley was.

"You never know what they could be good for!" Carly objected in her squeaky voice as Riley chuckled our way into a silence of thought.

"Well, it's getting late, we should…" Riley trailed off as he listened to a noise that was getting louder.

"Riley!" A Mime Jr. panted as he ran into the clearing giving us a frantic look.

"Jay, what are you doing here?" Jace inquired supporting the Mime Jr. with his shoulder.

"It's the guild master…" Jay panted standing up straight addressing Riley. "I've been looking all over for you, we need go."

"What about the guild master?" Carly cut in suddenly tense and at attention.

"I don't know; she was in frenzy when she sent me to get you two. There's a town meeting, we've got to go. Jace, you should probably come too."

"Let's go," Riley concluded seriously as he grabbed his bag and we took off after Mime Jr. Something was wrong, and we were going to find out what it was.


	6. Chapter 6: Arcanine

**Chapter 6: Arcanine**

The air was heavy with the weight of anticipation that was weighing down on all of us. The square was loud, others were shouting things over the others trying to get their voice heard by whoever they were talking to, and it was also more crowded than I had seen it before, which I did not know was possible. Jace and I had managed to squeeze in toward the front of the pack of people that Jace assured me was as close to front row as we were going to get.

With the sun low in the sky, eerie shadows were cast from the pokémon around us that were shifting uncomfortably as they waited for the meeting to start.

"What's going on?" I turned to a Marill that was standing quietly close by.

"I don't know," she replied sounding just as nervous as anyone else, "we were called here so suddenly…" She trailed off back into thoughts. Whatever this meeting was called for, it was no normal state of affairs.

"Attention!" a high, strong voice sounded toward the front, where Jace said that they would be. Some quieted down. "Attention, everyone!"

_Bang!_ The sound of a rifle went off and everyone went silent. A Rhyperior had set off his cannon into the air and looked mischievously toward the pokémon that stood center, but urgently.

Looking away, the Maractus stifled a small smile as she began to speak ", Erm… thank you, Hadley." Everyone just looked expectantly at her. "Thank you for coming here everyone!" Silence followed. She was clearly trying hard not to let her voice shake. "We have come to address an order of business." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "There have been sightings. I'm afraid it has returned."

At first, there was silence, and then all hell broke loose as people began shrieking in terror, and objection.

"What do you mean? Sightings?" One called from the crowd as another screamed, "Last time! Remember last time!"

Turning to Jace for answers, I saw that his face had gone pale. "Jace, are you okay? Jace what's going on?" Backing up, I spun around taking in every detail of my surroundings. Others were shaking, yelling, crying.

"Everyone! EVERYONE!" The Maractus yelled for order as the meeting fell into the hands of pandemonium.

_Bang!_ Silence ensued as the Rhyperior shot and spoke up gruffly, "This, people, is not a death sentence! Sit down and listen!"

The Maractus turned to the Rhyperior curtly. "Thank you." Then she turned back out to the crowd, "I propose we act civilized here, there's little that we can do to anything while we are up and reacting instead of thinking. Is that not what our mistake was last time?" Only silence answered. "Now, I recommend that we take things slowly and quietly…"

"That would kill us!" A voice from the back sounded over the silence and once again, the square erupted, others crying out and yelping at the idea.

"Quiet! Quiet!" Maractus' screams were lost into the crowd that was in a frenzy as was Rhyperior's shots that only seemed to perpetuate the madness that had caved in on the square. Even the fountain, that had been distinctly running only moments before was lost to frantic noises that the panicked pokémon were making.

"Dead! We're going to be dead!"

"Don't panic!" Maractus yelled, her voice lost.

"We can't go on living like this!"

_Phoenix…_ an almost indistinguishable voice echoed through the blur; I was not even sure that I had heard it. Looking around, I searched for its source. There was a frightening familiarity of that voice.

"We can't!" another panicked voice called through the midst that I found myself in.

Disoriented, I spun around, feeling the panic that had washed over the others; it was a blind panic, a panic that I did not understand or know. "No! No!" I yelled at myself trying to snap myself out of my daze. "Stop!" I screamed into the square unheard by all but myself. "No! Stop!"

"Stop!" both I and a clean-cut Arcanine that spoke with a deep voice spoke up into the square, him overpowering the noise and creating a silence that it seemed even the gentle trickle of the fountain could not break.

"Quit acting like we are all a bunch of rogues," he instructed scanning the crowd, his eyes were prying as if they were looking for weakness. "We are all civil, and we still act this way. The unknown has everything to hide, but do we not all. Do not fuss over something that can be fixed, and understand what comes with madness. Blind panic is the same as stupidity, surely you must know that."

He had a strange authority about him, which calmed everyone that heard him, even Jace, who had stopped moving a while ago regained some composure and color to his face.

"Just because it has returned does not mean that it is out to get us. It is quite possible that it was provoked, last time. There panic, no one knew what was happening until it did, and we reacted."

_Phoenix…_ it sounded again as I sank to the floor. The world started spinning as he continued, me falling into a haze that blurred my senses.

"We will discuss what to do with this, but until then, you all should head home, and respond normally. The less panic that we can generate, the better," he finished scanning the crowds once again, his vision finally resting on the last thing that I wanted him to see: me.

There was a flash across my vision, like lighting, and I'm fairly sure that I convulsed. There were flames, screams, and a duel, a victor, and a fleeing figure. A shout and it was over. All that was left was me shivering uncontrollably as time resumed and the square began to clear.

"Phoenix, are you ok?" Jace shifted sounding panicked, whether it was me that caused it or the unknown threat, I did not know.

Taking a deep breath, I looked him in the eye. "Yeah, I'm fine." I could not tell if my voice was shaking, I hoped it was not. Eyeing the Arcanine, he stared intently at me, then turned back to his companions. "Let's head back to the room. I think we're done here."

Whatever this threat was, whoever that voice was, I was sure of one thing. I did not like it. I did not like it one bit.


	7. Chapter 7: Dreams

**Chapter 7: Dreams**

"_See the stars?" he turned to me adoringly, "Every one of them, they were alive once. Kings, queens, peasants. Meant to live, that died, and so there they are, just watching over those that have taken their place. They know what was meant to happen, and the let it happen, they were the brave ones."_

_Looking up in wonder at the shimmering, clear sky, I looked up at what he was describing. "Does that mean… that we'd end up there one day?"_

_With a pause, he whispered ", Yes, Phoenix, it does."There was a real fear in his tone that only I had heard before. _

'_That must be where my father is', I thought to myself. "They must have such a beautiful view, knowing that they can see all of us."_

_Nodding his head slowly, he knew what I was talking about. Laying his pointed tail across my shoulder, as if in a fatherly way, Jonathon spoke in his slow and deep voice trying to reassure me of his confidence. "I've heard it is."_

_The shoreline of the lake was almost silent as the tide went out and the water's lapping sounded distant even though my paws had been dipped into the water. It was nights like this that we would travel out and just lay there talking, the way that I had always dreamed that I would with my father, my father that I had only ever seen once. Jonathon was my father, regardless of what my mother would say, and what Ceira would constantly assure me of. _

_Relaxing my head into the handsome black coat of the Houndoom, he started humming a tune that was well known in my clan. "The Echoes of the Dead" is what it was called. It was a tune that was of terrible meaning to the clan and a beautiful meaning as well. It was heartfelt, and sad; it was my favorite._

_Letting myself listen to his steady heartbeat that echoed off my ear like drums, I faded into the night._

* * *

><p>"<em>He's not our father, Phoenix," Ceira corrected, as usual speaking the truth, the only thing that I could not accept. <em>

_Staring into her deep brown eyes, I searched for any emotion attached to those words. There was none, but I had not expected to find any. She did not know Jonathon. She knew the truth, and that was what mattered most to her. "He is, Ceira." I paced to the wall angrily. He was the only father had I had ever known. _

"_He's not. You know this, Phoenix," she paced over to me to look out the window of the hut that we were in. She was the younger sister, but she hardly acted like it._

"_He's the only father I've ever known," I glared at her knowing what was coming, and resigned to the fact that she could never understand._

"_But he's not," was all she said._

_Gazing into the eyes of my dead sister I shook my head ", I know."_

* * *

><p><em>Voices were whispering in my ears. "Come, you know what you want." <em>

"_Ciera!" I cried into the suffocating night, unsure of what was happening. _

_Jonathon's eyes glowed red in the moonlight, reflecting the blood of lust on his muzzle. The blood of my mangled sister. _

_He just stood there, staring at me, as if time stood still. He killed her. She's dead. Lightning flashed, "Father." My mother fell to his paw. "Father!"_

_Drawing closer with every step, he met my blue eyes and a look of severe pain crossed his. The pain of what was coming, the pain that I knew. "I am not your father."_

_He lunged. Teeth pierced. Time stopped._

"_It's a dream… Run… Run…"_

* * *

><p>I woke up in the same haze that I had fallen asleep in. The room was dark and cold as I stumbled out of bed, unaware of anything, but the fact that I needed to get out of there. Jonathon. I could not stay.<p>

My paws were hard on the stone as I wobbled out of the shabby motel. The spring night was cold with the breeze that was erratic and disorienting. I had felt nights like these long ago; those memories feel like they came from a past life now.

Ignoring the chill, I walked where every my feet would take me. I did not know what I would do if Jonathon would find me, and I had been here for a while. How would it turn out? My father… Jonathon…

Glancing up to see my surroundings in the mute night, I saw lights that reminded me of fireflies, as we would call them, roaming the street. I knew that they were inanimate, but I could not help the feeling of nostalgia that I had known only once before. Things then were simple. Now, it was just the opposite. I was in a city that I didn't know, making friends with people I had never seen, pretending to be okay knowing what had happened. My old life was gone, and instead, I had a life of change that I had not ever wanted to see but somehow knew that I would and never wanted to believe it. Sometimes the reality is more painful than the lie told to conceal it.

Even the square that I had seen more than anything else in my wayward reality here seemed distorted by the light. The stone that was beneath my feet was a pale grey that reflected the glow of the fountain that even though it was flowing hardly seemed to be making any noise. The surroundings were abandoned, shops closed and the roar that I had come to associate with this place was gone. All that was left of the square were the fountain and the stone that lay underneath me unflinchingly.

Sighing, I sat, understanding what I was going to do, and resigned to accepting the childish nature of it. I was not one to believe in myths, but it was the only thing that I had to hold onto for hope. Bowing my head I started to hum the song that I had once known and loved: "The Echoes of the Dead".

_'Please,' _I thought as hard as I could _', Jace. Just make him okay. Let him be okay, even though I'm leaving. Let him be alright, and let it all be alright. Please…" _Sitting there, I stared into the waterfall that shone in the night, mourning my mother and my sister. Mourning the friendship with Jace that I was about to sever by fleeing from Jonathon, my father, and mourning for the death of my life that I had once loved and known. It became timeless, that moment as I fought the feeling of despair that was looming in the pit of my stomach, and knew that I had no other choice but to move forward. _'Please…'_

"Phe?" a familiar voice inquired softly behind me. "Phoenix?" Drawing back tears that I knew had been in my eyes, I looked to him. It was as if he knew what I was feeling, the tenderness of this emotion. "What are you doing up?" There was a real fear in his voice as he asked. "Why are you out this late?" There was no force in his voice, just tender concern and reservation.

Not daring to talk for fear of crying, I just met his brown eyes that reminded me so much of Jonathon's, then put my head down as I turned back to the fountain.

As if in understanding, all Jace did was move to my side slowly and sit down next to me. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked gazing into the light of the water that defined his face making him look broken. A chill ran up my spine as I watched the silvery light glow into the otherwise dark night. "The fountain at night…" he intoned once again sounding discontented and lonely.

Once again, I started humming in a shattered and cracking voice, and Jace just sat there listening in hushed reservation, not once commenting, but listening none the same. I did not feel the need to show off or make it seem fantastic; all that mattered was the fountain and the meaning that I had suddenly attached to it. I understood why Jace had showed it to me in the first place.

"You know, my name, it's Jason. Not Jace. It's what my mother would use to call me."

"Jason…" I echoed.

Shaking his head, Jace just looked at me with a forced smile. Jason…

"Phoenix," he sighed. "Will you…?" he trailed off before picking up the sentence again. "Will… you…form a team with me?" Stumbling on the last words, he just sat there in shock, as if he had not actually intended on asking me.

"… Jace…" I knew what I had to say, even if I did not know why. Jason was the only flicker of hope I had left for making sense of things, I realized. "…I will…" I murmured.

Moments passed as the slightest of smiles broke Jason's face from depression to an almost unperceivable sense of belonging. "You… will?"

"If that's what you really mean… yes." I whispered back to him.

And there we sat in silence, taking in the fountain that was still flowing into the night, it understood why, although we might not have. Life goes on. Never again would we be here in this moment again. Life goes on. Still Life goes on…


	8. Chapter 8: The Guild

**Chapter 8: The Guild**

"Come ON!" Jace exclaimed from up ahead on the path even more spunky than he had been acting the past few days.

Muttering to myself, I strode on after him, "Why did I let him talk me into this?" Not even trying to mask my obvious exhaustion and irritation, I followed him as he rounded the corner into another one of the many back roads that he had forced me to follow. At least they were paved, and not crowded. Jace seemed to understand my dislike for the crowds, thankfully.

"I know that you haven't had much sleep, Phe, but can't you move faster?" Jace asked impatiently stopping to pace the length of the road until I caught up.

Rolling my eyes, I picked up the pace slightly, "You know, you had about as much sleep as I did, how can you possibly be this amped?"

Stopping to consider, momentarily, he thought then went on ahead to lead the way again ", I dunno, just am."

"Well, you're acting like a little girl", I teased knowing that he would not take offence to my tone. Flicking my ears, I watched him stop and stare at me in mock sadness.

"Killjoy," he gave me his best 'puppy dog eyes', then came back to walk alongside me. Scuffing my ear, he continued ", I'm excited, that's all, and we're almost there."

Shaking my head, I just continued to walk alongside the over excited Jace. "Where are we headed again?"

Shooting me an incredulous glance he replied ", The Guild."A mischievous smile crossed my face; I had already asked that a good three or four times, but I was having fun watching his reactions. "God, you're irritating." That last statement came out more like a laugh than anything else.

"There it is!" Jace announced as we approached a huge, stone wall that dominated the other surroundings of flowers and pillars and a brook that ran down one side of the path. The stone was a mix of a russet color, and a gentle tan that stood out from the deep brown soil and light green grass that the surrounded forest-like environment that encompassed the guild. Around the path that was somewhat sloped and well paved, there were pink flowers, which at first glance were beautiful, however, upon closer examination, they were adorned with small yellow spikes that had I not looked closer, would have been overlooked. There were tall trees on either side of the path as we stepped forward slowly. On the other hand, the pillars matched the wall's russet stone as they bordered both sides of the entrance. Looking closer, one could see the moss that covered much of the stone, giving the impression of timeless eeriness to it. The fact that the pillars had fire at the top did little to lighten my impression.

"This is the entrance," Jace paused sounding less and less sure of himself. Looking back at me from the base of the staircase, he continued. "Well…" he swallowed. "This is it."

Reluctantly, I started to place one foot in front of the other as I moved forward. Crossing the bridge that the small brook flowed under, I reached the staircase. Jace just stood at the gate, motionless, petrified at what he was about to do.

Climbing the stairs, I counted each one. There were five in all. At last, I reached the gate, where Jason just looked at me with a forced smile, then went on to push the Rod Iron Gate that swung open at his touch.

What came to meet our eyes was nothing that either one of us would have expected. Within the gate, the path went on down the center of a large grassy courtyard that was unbelievably well kept given the size. Down the path that we were walking, there was a point with a statue in the middle, a statue of a pokémon identical to the one that Jason had described in the legend he had told me. The path diverged at this point. Four dirt paths at this point split left and right to other buildings that were smaller, but none the less impressive; instead of following these, however, we followed the main stone path that lead to the large building that stood center of the others.

The doors of this main building were huge and wooden decorated with iron designs such as swirls and flowers. Timidly, Jace knocked on the door, and it swung open into a large room, which at the back wall had boards with paper attached to them and three other entrances that were on the other three walls.

"What is your business here?" an Excadrill boomed from my left making me jump.

"W-well…" Jace stammered trying to get a sentence out.

"Jace! Phoenix!" Carly came hurtling toward us pinning me to the ground in a bug hug.

"Carly!" Jace shouted just as shocked as I was to have her on top of me .

"Carly!" Riley called for his partner walking into the room from the left. "Jace? Phoenix? What are you two doing here?" He walked over pulling Carly off of me, allowing me to stand up again.

Shaking his head the Excadrill just went back to standing by the door as I responded sourly, but happy just the same ", Well, before she managed to tackle me to the ground, we were going to look into joining the guild." Mischievously, I glanced up from shaking the dirt off of me.

"You were?" asked Riley eyeing Jace wide-eyed.

"They're my friends!" Carly began dancing in a circle humming a tuneless song.

"Yeah…" Jace stared at Carly who was obviously enjoying herself. "… I really don't know how to respond to that."

Laughing, it was Riley that responded. "No, I'm sure you don't," taking the focus off of the beaming Carly, he continued. "Anyway, we don't have to head out for a little while now, I'll show you to the Guild Master."


	9. Chapter 9: Apprenticeship

**Chapter 9: Apprenticeship**

The room that they said held the Guild Master's quarters lie toward the back of the building that we had entered, to the right of the two boards that read at the top: "Listings". Listings for what, I was not quite sure, of course, I did not really know what I was getting myself into anyway, much less, who the guild master was. Knocking on the door, Riley paused as if waiting for something, then, hearing nothing, he creaked the door open and stepped inside signaling for the rest of us to follow.

"Tomorrow morning… that's when…" the two pokémon looked up from the huddle over a small desk that they had found themselves in. I pricked my ears in curiosity, the quickly flattened them to my head at the Rhyperior's glance of amusement while the Maractus looked expectantly down at us.

"Erm…" Jace stammered before being cut off.

"So, tomorrow, I got it," the Rhyperior bid a farewell to the Maractus excusing himself from the meeting.

"Sorry to interrupt, ma'am, we can come back later..." Riley mumbled starting to excuse us too.

"Oh, no worries, we were just wrapping that up, please," she looked at us expectantly.

"Well you see, ma'am, my friends here Jace an…" Riley spoke slowly and clearly only to be interrupted by an overly enthusiastic Jace.

"We were looking to join your guild… ma'am," he added realizing how rude he must have come off to her.

A funny smile crossed her face as she looked down on him ", you've got spunk; I'll give you that. So you and…?"

"Phoenix," I spoke up for the first time in a voice that I could only hope sounded calm.

"I see…" she replied her eyes glazing over as she reclused into thoughts.

"They're my friends," Carly looked her square in the eye with as serious a look as I had seen on her and nodding her head as if that was supposed to mean something huge to the Guild Master.

"I see," she replied widening her eyes as if this interested her greatly, then turned back to us, " You two seem fit enough… of course," turning away to pace, she began to think, "they all do. Phoenix was it?" she spun back around staring at me. "There will be a trial period for the two of you. Two days. Two days to prove yourself, to show me what you can do. Skill will be your greatest asset. Carly! Riley! I expect you to show these two around, explain the routine and what they will be required to do. They have until tomorrow for their trial to begin. I hope that you do not disappoint. Dismissed." We made to take our leave, somehow, meeting with the Guild Master did not ease my nerves at all, "Oh," she looked over her shoulder at us with a impish glint in her eye, "I'll expect a team name out of you two by the end."

* * *

><p>"You know, in her own way, the Guild Master wants you to do well too," Riley commented after we had exited the building and began following an ecstatic Carly that raced on ahead to god knows where.<p>

"I guess," Jace replied absently. He had not spoken since we left the office. He was shocked.

"Come on, brighten up!" Riley smiled at him. "You're as good as a part of the guild now, with the way that you work."

Jace just shot him a cynical glance, then went on to study the way that the dirt path felt under his feet.

Filling in the silence, I trotted up to Riley's side, "So, you're showing us the grounds?" I inquired once again trying to take the focus off of the disgruntled Jace.

Brightening up at once, Riley happily took the bait. "Yeah, there are only a few buildings to hit; that is, unless you have questions, but it's fairly straight forward. I've always loved the grounds around here."

Carly, satisfied, trotted back to our side after sprinting to and from the building we were heading to. Smiling, I replied examining her joyous expression, "I can see why."

Satisfied, we stopped at the first building that he had chosen to show us that lie at the front right corner from where we walked in. This building was made of the same material as the other one was, though it was slightly less impressive. "This is where come of the crafts men work on site. Why they had work here always escaped me, but I assume it's because of the advantages that some of the armor made here gives to our missions. It's a convenient place to access things like that, but I would watch out for Ben here. You'll know him when you see him. He can be a bit… ah… temperamental."

Nodding her head vigorously, Carly agreed, and then proceeded to show us her wrist band that presumably, Ben made.

"Pretty," I commented as Carly's smile grew wide then bounced off to the next building that was at least two hundred yards away.

"Ben seemed to have a liking to her," Riley commented after some time. "He never could seem to get over how much she seemed to like the band that he was making."

Shaking my head, I glanced back at Jace, whose sour mood seemed to have been dissolved.

Stopping again, we ended up behind the center building at a slightly more impressive building that was longer than the last, and it was closer to the fence. "The strategic hall." Riley stated plainly. "Most of us aren't allowed in there, but it's hardly used any way…" a troubled look crossed his face momentarily before he turned to show us the training field that was around the back of the Guild house.

"The training field," he started introducing it, "Is where others train for the real- life things. There will be training days while you are here where the apprentices are subject to train on the wall or on the track, wherever they think that team need improvement on. Typically, there is one team a day; today is our day, so we'll be heading here when your tour is done."

Nodding my head comprehendingly, I just went to follow Riley as he picked up the pace toward the long row of buildings lining the left fence. Jace was absorbed in everything, taking in every detail as if it was precious. To him, it might be.

Stopping in front of one of the buildings, he looked back at us as if he realized the enormity of what he was announcing. "And these," pause, "are the apprentice quarters. This one will be where you two stay. We're just four houses down to the left if you need us. There are so many of them, so they're never full, but I wouldn't worry about that too much. In the morning, there will be twelve bell chimes to wake us up. The apprentices have to report to the guild house after that within ten minutes. Don't be late." With that, Riley began to walk away, leaving us to look at our new home. "One last thing," he stopped, "Dinner will be in a few hours, you'll know by the six chimes of the bell. To get to the cafeteria, just go into the left door in the guild building. It only lasts for an hour, so I would hurry there if I were you. We'll see you later, enjoy." And with that, Riley began to head toward the training field excitedly.

"You're going to love it," Carly smiled warmly as she scampered to Riley's side loyally leaving us alone facing the doors to our new home. Our new life, really.


	10. Chapter 10: Chores

**Chapter 10: Chores**

Settling into the beds in our new room was a lot easier said than done, I realized as I settled into the small bed to the left of the room. Back at dinner, it had been relatively quiet, and with the meal that we were given, had Jace not suggested coming back to the room to crash, I could have eaten myself to death. Come to think of it, that actually did not seem like such a bad way to die. Not that that was something I wanted. Funny how quickly things could change.

The room we were in was much smaller compared to the sizeable room that we had been provided back at the motel. The cabin was much cleaner and had a newer appeal to it, which I appreciated over the cobwebs that had been provided to us previously. We had checked out of the motel not too soon after our arrival to the grounds. Jace had insisted that it would be rude otherwise. I could not really complain though, the innkeeper had been kind to us.

The walls of the inside of our cabin were painted a warm brown that was adorned with pictures of caves and trees and the ocean, something that I had never seen before. Jace himself was examining the cabin with great interest, pacing from the window that was toward the back of the room revealing the brook and a great view of the wall to the pictures and back again.

"I'd double check the paintings again," I teased as he walked back to the window, "I think that it might have changed since you were there last."

Throwing me a skeptical glance, he just turned back to the window out to the darkened skies.

Stepping to his side, I exhaled, "We're here, Jace."

Looking at me uncomprehendingly, he answered absently, "We are?" Then as he came back to reality, he sank down into the chair beside me. "Sorry," his amused smile indicated that he was present again. "I just can't believe that we're here."

"Neither can I, really," I laughed back at him expressing the tension that I had been concealing all day. We were in, and at that moment, that was really the only thing that mattered.

"What do you think our assignment will be tomorrow?" Jace inquired stimulating my curiosity.

"Dunno," I replied, forcing myself to relax into the bed that I had been provided. "I'm sure that it's something fantastic, though," I smiled trying to raise his hopes for the first day, I could tell that he was stressed, "You watch, tomorrow, all sorts of new things that we've never heard of before will happen. It'll start raining delicious food all over the place, and it'll be our job to dispose of them."

"I'm sure _that _will happen," Jace smiled, shaking his head and looking back out the window.

Giggling myself, I tried for my best 'announcer' voice, " And here come the beautiful Jace and Phoenix back from their extremely fantastic mission of cleaning the food off roads from the random storm this afternoon. They look amazing, folks, simply fantastic."

Snorting, Jace jumped in, "Not only that, but they also helped an old lady find her house. Truly, these two heroes are to be commended for their work."

"I say that we reward these heroes, everyone, by crowning them king and queen of awesome!"

"And an all you can eat salad bar!"

"And an unspoken authority over all of us!"

Giving me his best 'royal' look, Jace and I broke down laughing. The look did not suit him much.

"Well, assuming that it _doesn't _rain food, it'll still be a long day tomorrow," I sighed, unable to wipe the smile off of my face.

Raising his eyebrows in a 'yeah' gesture, Jace rose from the chair and climbed the bed that was indented into the wall above my bed indent.

Extinguishing the light, the room became dark in the night, and suddenly, I found it much easier to relax and close my eyes. Behind my eyes tonight, there would be no nightmares tonight, I could feel it. Allowing myself to begin to fade into the warm silence, Jace spoke up one last time.

"Hey Phoenix," a sad voice intoned above me. "Thanks, for everything. Without you, I wouldn't be here right now."

Unsure of how to respond, I hesitated, and then a sleepy smile crossed my face. "That's what friends are for."

Imagining a small smile cross his face, I allowed myself to fade into the arms of sleep.

"'Night," I whispered up to him.

"'Night," he whispered back.

I could not be sure, but that night, I thought that I might have heard a small sob escape him. What for, I was even less sure of.

* * *

><p><em>Bong! Bong! Bong!<em> A bell rang signaling the start of our new day.

"Phoenix!" Jace gasped as he shot up, tearing out of his bed and causing me to sit up in mine at attention of whatever was happening in the haze of my consciousness. "Get up! Get up!" He frantically began making his bed, then proceeded to fly down the latter to his bunk and made mine with me still on the covers half-awake. "Phoenix!" Jace shouted startling me out of my stupor.

"What?" I asked in a semi-raised voice to match his excited tone. That was when it all washed back over me and I realized where I was and what I was doing. We were at the guild; this was our first day. Realization crossing my face, I leapt out of bed ruffling the recently made covers and skidded to the door where Jace was waiting excitedly. Today was where we started, and I was not planning on being late.

Sprinting into the guild house, we moved into the spots next to Riley and Carly in the two row line up. It looked like we had been the last ones to show up.

"Right on time," Riley whispered to us as Jace caught his breath. With a smile he turned to him and offered a thumbs-up.

As if on cue, the doors to the guild master's office swung open with a quick flash of wood across our vision and the guild master stepped out into the giant room from her office. She seemed somewhat more authoritative here than she had been the day before or in the gathering in the square. There also looked like some type of weariness there, like she had just finished dealing with something or had been up for most of the night. Regardless, she greeted us with an enthusiasm that seemed to fit her age. "Good morning, everyone! We have a fairly small schedule, so let's try and get through this quickly." Apparently, she was not a huge fan of the morning announcements. "First, I would like to address two new apprentices that will be joining us. Jace and Phoenix. They are currently in the trial process, so I expect you all welcome them with patience and friendship." Gazing sharply into the crowd she came back to relax her gaze back on the front row. "I hope that you all enjoy your assignments today, after all the weather has remained rather mild in the times recent. Dismissed." With that, everyone dispersed into the surrounding areas, some heading to the boards, others making their way into the cafeteria, surely to retrieve their breakfast.

"You two!" the mistress called from where she had stood during the announcements. "You two will be in charge of tending to the grounds today. Just protocol, hopefully tomorrow we will be able to put you into something slightly more interesting, but for today, chores it is. Helps us examine your work ethic. I've assigned Riley and Carly to show you what you will be in charge of finishing today. Seeing as you four were already acquainted, it simplifies things. Good luck," With that she turned back into her office and left us to ponder our assignment.

"So, the rumors are true," a cold voice sneered from the entrance to the kitchen, "There are two newbies arrived at the guild." There was something in her tone that brought up contempt for her that I did not even know was possible within the first five words I have heard out of someone.

"Yes," I replied slowly; I was forcing myself to maintain some degree of level-headedness.

"Hmmm… pity," the Servine continued pushing my patience. Examining us with her snake-like eyes, "I had almost hoped for more. My mistake. See you on the training field," she concluded, dismissing herself from the livid Jace, who no doubt had started seeing red. I just stood there undertaking the impossible task of keeping myself in check as she sauntered away.

"Come on," I began steering Jace away from someone who had definitely just made his list. We have chores to do. I got the sense that neither of us were hungry enough to care about breakfast.

* * *

><p>"Floors, sweep, counting food stores," Jace rattled off the list of items on our to-do list having promptly forgotten his irritation.<p>

"You forgot washing down the tables," I added moodily, irritated with the lengthy list of things to do. At least we had a job, but the conversation that we had last night might have gotten my hopes a little too high.

"Wanna start with washing the guild house's floors?" Jace inquired as he turned to the shed that Carly had pointed out with a grand puking sound. Apparently he had not forgotten completely about his irritation with what's-her-face.

Making a mental note not to be as irritable, I just shrugged and trotted after him. "So how exactly are we going to go about doing this?"

"With these," Opening the shed, Jace withdrew our weapons: two mops, a bucket, and some cleaning solution that smelled like a mix between a spring meadow and some rotten fruit. This might have been an interesting assignment after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

**Thanks to 'Pure Gamer' for reviewing and reading my story, I really appreciate the feed back; acually, its the reviews that drive me to write more. Thank you!**


	11. Chapter 11: Secrets

**Chapter 11: Secrets**

It was night when he strode onto campus; the campus, which for him, held more than just a few memories. Those times were easy, fun. Unfortunately, he was not here to reproduce old memories. It was those memories that produced him, as he was. It was not his job to remember; it was not his job to forget.

Placing himself carefully on each step as he walked forward, he allowed himself to remain unheard, unseen. This was a matter to be dealt with in the secrecy of the maiden of night. The apprentices were silent, as he had assumed. At an hour this late, few would be about to question him. Few would be awake to remember.

The guild house was dark and silent as he walked in. The lights, most likely had been extinguished not too soon after curfew as was regulation. Smiling, he realized how much he had missed the order that the guild had offered to him compared to where he was now. Not that it was anything that he could change. Not alone, anyway.

"You're here," the Maractus intoned flatly from the doorway that lied up ahead. There was something about the way that she was holding herself that was different from the last time that he was here. Of course, it was understandable, her emotion, given the circumstances. She had always been a bit more… ah… reactive than him. It was her greatest asset, but also her greatest liability, and perhaps, the only reason that she had lived so many years ago.

"Maeve," he greeted with the nodding of his head as he walked into the room past her. It was the same room that he knew, the same room of his time here, the same desk, and the same windows that viewed the campus. Even the entrances and exits were the same in the fact that there was only one. It was impossible to escape; however, it was also impossible to eavesdrop upon. That was his main concern. They were not about to be attacked, at least not tonight.

"I expect you know why I have called you here tonight?" Maeve began the meeting on a cold note, crossing in front of him to gain entrance into his line of vision.

Gazing squarely into her golden eyes, there was fierceness in his steady vision that caused her to stop. "Had I not known, I would have not come, Maeve. I presume you know that."

Breaking his gaze, she turned to the window, placing her hands on the deep cherry desk for support. "He's still out there, Alec."

He gazed steadily at her, keeping an even tone. It appeared as if she was close to tears, her breathing becoming increasingly unsteady and arrhythmic, "It is nothing to be concerned with."

Spinning around on him with a renewed vigor, she lost all control that she had mustered for this meeting. It was in this moment when one could see the bags under her eyes and the fire that burned just above them, like a warrior. "Is that what you think?" She drew closer with each word screaming them into the man's unflinching face. "You know just as well as I do what can happen; what matter we are dealing with! Hadley's out there! For all we know he might be dead!" Suddenly, as if the realization of her words hit her, she drew back from the attack and returned to the desk. "He might be dead…" she squeaked.

Withdrawing himself from his mellow waiting, Alec walked beside Maeve as if in a gesture of friendship. "Hadley can handle himself and one thing's for certain," a glint crossed his eyes, "the Hadley we know will not be going down without a fight. Most likely a good one at that."

Not daring to make eye contact, Maeve just looked away. Alexander was right, of course, but it appeared that once again, she was too proud to acknowledge it, which suited Alec just fine. Pride was something that he could respect seeing that he had a great deal of it as well.

"I do not anticipate anything bad happening to him; regardless, he is not the height of our concerns," he continued patiently; hitting at the one thing that neither of them wanted to talk about. "There are still other… matters to discuss." It appeared the night had only just begun.

* * *

><p>Standing in wait for the morning greeting to start, we stood awkwardly eyeing the door as other apprentices shifted anxiously for the guild master to emerge. The bell had rung some fifteen minutes before, and apparently, it was quite unlike her to be late.<p>

"What do you think is keeping her?" a small voice that I could not quite see echoed all of our thoughts.

"Dunno…" another replied with the same tension that the rest of us felt. "Maybe she's still asleep?"

With that, the apprentices fell into an uncomfortable silence as we stood in line. I, myself, was just to the right of Jace and on the end of the first row. Jace looked like he was nervous just like the rest of them. The one thing that they did not know was that I could hear voices behind the wooden door that separated us from the guild master. She was quite well, she and some other voice that rang a bell in my memory, but I could not quite place. I was too tired to say anything, however. I had woken in the middle of the night for no explainable reason other than the fact that I heard footsteps, which were so distant; they might as well have been the guild master making rounds.

Nudging me, Jace pointed to the door that creaked open at the twenty minute mark. Standing at attention, I waited for the guild master to walk out; however, someone else met my eyes. The Arcanine from the meeting walked through the door first meeting my eyes with his equally blue ones momentarily, then looked away and trod out of the room with a purpose leaving only the vision of his mane when the guild master called for attention.

"I apologize for keeping you all waiting," she began, regaining our interest. "Although, I do have to admit that I am pleased with your diligence in waiting for my arrival. As is normal, I will expect you all to have wonderful days. Please keep in mind that failure is only foreshadowing of success. Dismissed."

"What was Mr. Alexander doing here?" Jay shouted from the back drawing the guild's attention to the front once again from our crumbling line up.

Coldly, she looked down on the rest of the apprentices. "I said, 'dismissed.'"

Exchanging a glace, Jace and I began making our way to the cafeteria for breakfast; whatever they had discussed in her office was not doing any good for her mood.

"Jace, Phoenix!" the Maractus called for us up front, making me jump. Turning around we dragged ourselves front and center.

"Your assignment today will hopefully be more exciting. Today, you will be assigned a sample mission. For now, we're going to leave you with something simple, just a minor exploration of a deeper part of the forest. Nothing too dangerous, but there will be rogues and most likely a few other obstacles. I don't anticipate you running into too many other obstructions; however, as this is a test mission, you will be assigned a guide. They will only be present for evaluation, and if need be, assistance. You will be meeting yours in the square in thirty minutes. I apologize, normally, I would be the one taking the newly apprenticed, but I'm afraid that there are a few other more pressing matters. Good luck."

Despite the guild master's well bidding, I got the sense that Jason and I could not sway a feeling of disease that lingered even after she retreated back into her office.


	12. Chapter 12: Kody

**Chapter 12:**

The square was relatively quiet at this time of the morning, which I estimated to be just past eight o' clock. Only the shop keepers and a few early risers were up and about shopping, so one would assume that finding our guide would be easy; only, we had no clue who we were looking for, and as far as we knew, they had no clue who we were.

Examining those around the square, there were no obvious choices for our guide. There was one burly yellow coated merchant that seemed like it had experience in the wild. Then again, most of the merchants looked accustomed to the wild, and my life's savings (which now totaled to about three cents) said that the merchants were not going to be taking us into the woods.

"Now what?" Jace paused as we walked into the square. Apparently, he was just as clueless as I was.

With a shrug, I just paced toward the middle of the square trying not to look like I did not have the slightest clue what I was doing. "Who do you suppose the guild master would assign to watching us?"

"Dunno…" Jace trailed off glancing around the shops.

"What're you two lost puppies doing out here?" a deeper voice chucked behind me. There was no malice in the voice, but it definitely was the voice of a joker. "Lookin' for somethin'?"

"Yeah, actually, a guide," Jace spoke up looking at this new 'friend'. Who knows; he might be able to help.

"Ah, guild folk?" he smiled a toothy smile after responding in an odd drawl that sounded like it had come from some distant land. It was definitely something that I had never heard before, but Jace did not seem fazed by it, so it could not have been that odd. "Might know who yer lookin' for. I take it Maeve sent ya?"

Nodding his head, Jace replied slowly. "Yeah…"

As if some great deeper understanding crossed his face, he just nodded his head and began to walk toward the forest. "Well, let's go."

"Wait, what?" Jace lowered his head down as if that would help him reach this higher understanding that this stranger had attained.

"You mean to say that…" I continued before being interrupted.

"You new recruits?" he asked as if his one question would answer everything.

"Yeah," I replied becoming increasingly more irritated with him.

"Then let's go." Sick and tired of trying to decode his obscure messages that only he seemed to know the full meaning of, I just began to follow the green pokémon that had begun walking toward the forest again.

"Wait," Jace whispered to me, careful to remain quiet, "Is he our guide?"

Rolling my eyes, I just continued to trudge after him sourly. "God knows what this man is."

* * *

><p>"This is getting kind of weird," Jace leaned over and whispered for the third time. Weird, though, was an understatement. We had hardly known the man for ten minutes, and after he told us to follow him, he had stopped nearly three times just to examine a wall or some water fountain. "We don't even know if he is our guide." Jace pushed that out with as much force as he could muster under his breath.<p>

"Quit worrying about that, kiddies, I'm your guide alright," there was a real tone in his voice that told me that he was not lying. That worked for me; however, Jace just seemed to be slightly more irritated about this fact than I was. "And quit yer buggin', I can hear ev'ry word yer sayin'."

Embarrassed, Jace grew silent. If he had heard us there, what else had he heard? Glancing around, I tried to focus my attention anywhere but our guide.

"Oh, don't be like that," he spoke up, realizing that he might have been a bit too abrupt. "Look here," he stopped and looked at us, the first friendly gesture that he had made, "my name's Kody: Kody the Bayleef. That's me!" There was a sudden odd cheeriness that made me smile. He just did not know how to communicate with people. "Phoenix and Jace, right?" He continued to establish our identities.

Nodding our heads, he just continued, clearly happy to have maintained the spotlight. "Anyway- we're gonna head on out to the forest. Won't be too hard, I don't think. Just some runnin', if we're lucky, might run into some rogues. Ain't nothin' like a good scrap out in the woods. You guys gonna see what it's like!" And with that, he was off with a sudden excitement of 'scrapping in the woods'.

Exchanging a glance, Jace and I just set out after him, Jace in an apparent mood of having Kody as our guide, and me having taken a sudden liking to the guy.

* * *

><p>"Well, this is it," Kody announced as we reached a deeper part of the woods that I had not seen before. It looked no different from the woodland that we had been walking through for the past ten minutes, but there did seem to be something off. Ahead, one could see how the vines started growing around the trees and how the trees began growing closer together and the farther I looked the darker it seemed.<p>

"That's it?" Jace inquired, clearly surprised by the lack of enormity that this first 'assignment' offered.

"Somein' simple, nothin' too hard for yer first day. Can't have ya dyin' now can we?" Kody continued with a smile. Jace just looked at him taken aback.

'Dying?' he mouthed to me unsure of whether or not he should take what Kody said literally. I would not put too much faith in every word that left his mouth, so I just shrugged and turned back to hear what we were going to be doing.

"So, what's the assignment?" I prompted, straight to the point.

"Just an evaluation. See how ya react. Wouldn't want ya overwhelmed, so we'll place yer abilities an' go from there. So long ya do well, I wouldn' worry so much," it was becoming more apparent why 'Maeve', as he had called her, had assigned him to grade us. Despite his rough personality, he would be able to keep his calm in the forest.

"Well, let's go." I began to walk toward the darker part of the forest.

"Wait, hold it!" Kody stopped me midstride. "Y'all prepared?"

"Yeah," I had stocked up on supplies in the cafeteria. Apples, some rope that Jace had in his bag, and a navy blue backpack with a knight (as in the chess piece) embroidered on it to carry it around in. Jay was kind enough to inform me that we might need to carry around some stuff when we explore, but Jace would be the one wearing the backpack, because it would be odder for me to wear it considering that I have to walk on all fours, not Jace.

Nodding his head, Kody approved. "Okay then, guess yer ready, let's go," and with that he lead the way into the woods.

* * *

><p>The first thing that I noticed about the woods that we had just walked into, it did not seem like a normal woods (I would know, I grew up in one). The shadows were distorted, and it seemed like there were others lurking around every corner. It made sense that there was a guild for this type of thing. It would take a great deal of experience or some cocky ass to not be intimidated by this forest alone, much less the other locations up for exploration. It was not exactly causing fear, just an unsettled anxiousness.<p>

Kody actually looked at ease in this environment, which I was not sure if it was odd or natural as I did not know him. The odds had it that he had been here before, so that was slightly more comforting to him, and surprisingly to me. He knew what it was like around here, and by the sounds of it, he knew what rogues tended to live around here.

"Yer lucky," Kody spoke up. "Seems like a slow day. We're about halfway through, and there ain't nothin' we seen yet. Anyway- lets have ya up ahead here run some drills, then y'all can eat some lunch supposing that ya brought some, then we'll head on home."

Murmuring in agreement, Jace and I dropped our stuff in the clearing that sure enough was right there and turned to Kody for instruction.

"See that tree, there," Kody pointed to a tree. "I wanna see which o' you is the fastest. On my mark." I crouched, "Get set! Go!" And with that, Jace and I were in a full speed sprint to the tree that Kody had pointed out and back. I won by a long shot, but I already knew that I would. My four legs would give an advantage to Jace's two. I expected that he would do better in endurance, though. "Again!" Kody shouted, and so we began a long hour of plain exercise, lateral movements, and at one point a lesson on how to anticipate oncoming obstacles when running. Finally, lunch came; not a moment too soon, either. I thought that my stomach had started singing to me.

"Thanks," Jace thanked me after I passed him an apple. We had both been starving from the training/ death sentence that Kody had provided.

Nodding my head, I inhaled the apple then looked to Kody who was sprawled out in a sunny spot as if he was the one that was supposed to be dying from training.

"You hungry?" I inquired, directing my question at Kody.

"Naw, just thought I'd catch some sun before we head out," Kody replied, not bothering to lift his head from the ground. Shrugging, I turned back to Jace, who was not there now.

"Jace?" I looked around in search for him.

"Waaaaaahhhh!" Jace cried as he leapt from a tree only to land only feet from me with his stick saber in hand. "You, foul beast, shall taste my wrath!" Laughing, he lunged and attempted to attack me with his pitiful attempt of a sword. I dodged his blow.

Dropping the sword, Jace charged and I spun around to face him only to find him on top of me, and dragging himself away and into a stand that I had already mustered.

"You two are a bunch o' kids," Kody shook his head, drawing himself in a stand, a smile plastered on his face.

_Listen_, a voice echoed in my ear.

"I win!" Jace beamed, adjacent to me.

The forest was quiet except for the boasting of Jace and the laughing of Kody at Jace's childish antics. Nothing was out of the ordinary. _Crack._ Perking my ears, I listened intently to the noise that I was not even sure that I had heard. Then there was a flash of red that crossed my peripheral vision, something was getting ready to happen.

"Jace, duck!" I commanded loudly snapping him out of his humorous joust with Kody.

"Right! I'm not falling for that!" Jace laughed cockily.

"I'm not kidding," I persisted tensely, I could hear the hunter's breath against my eardrums as if it was right next to me.

"Neither am I!" Jace continued to laugh.

Everything happened very fast from there. The predator and I lunged at the same time, both for the same target: Jace.

Knocking him down to the ground with an _'ooff'_, Jace just spoke up in outrage. "Phoenix get off of me!"

Examining my surroundings rapidly for the attacker, I kept Jace pinned to the ground under my paw. They must have seen something. It was out there.

Kody just remained frozen, listening intently, and then it lunged again out from the bushes and just barely missed his side. Hissing and sputtering violently, the red fox-like creature was in a defensive stance that could only be described as aggressive. Letting Jace go, I crouched down, and growled at my opponent. The battle had begun.


	13. Chapter 13: Team Renaissance

**Chapter 13: Team Renaissance**

One foot after another, we began circling one another. Each step, each change in speed, each tensing of each muscle, I matched it. Ears back, pressed hard against my head, and my tail held out for balance, I circled the opponent as I had learned. We were trapped in a dance, until one made a move to break it, and I knew that it would not be me. Drawing in closer, one could almost see the wheels turning in its head as it analyzed the situation it had put itself into.

Finally, it stopped the dance, and lunged baring its teeth in a snarl as I leapt to the right, just barely letting its outreached claws graze my russet pelt. Reacting, I threw myself on top of the opponent in a dive that was somewhat sideways. I, myself, had managed to claw myself into her fur that was long and matted, tearing her skin.

Throwing me off of her, she whipped around and sank her teeth into my back paw. Stifling a yelp, I spun around, snapping, aiming to bite, only to see Jace charging with a glowing light emanating from his hands. Throwing a punch, it landed right on the skull of our opponent, causing it to let go with a stunned cry. Now, it was two of us in the battle against the one, and one could sense the power shift on the playing field, and the opponent sensed it too as she became more frantic in her attacks, until, finally, I trapped her in a hold against the ground, and she had her ear to the floor, patiently looking up to see my next move.

"Leave," I whispered to her as I released her and watched her bound off into the woods.

"Were did ya two run o' the mill guilds folk learn to scrap a rogue Flareon like _that_?" Kody looked slightly stunned at what we were able to do.

"My mom taught me a thing or two, she always seemed to know what I wanted to be," Jace beamed at him, slightly cringing when he mentioned his mom. I made a mental note to ask about that later.

"I, ah, got a few lessons," I replied quickly, trying not to seem too obvious. It was not a utter lie, but I got the sense that they knew that it was not the complete truth either. I had gotten lessons back at the clan, but it was more than that. Private lessons, battles, Jonathon himself taught me how to fight.

Luckily, neither of my companions seemed too eager to pry, and quickly changed the subject.

"Why don't we head on home?" Kody suggested, leaving little room for objection as he began retreating into the woodlands that we had just come from.

Just shrugging, Jace and I paced after him, my senses peaked. Something just seemed to be off with that rogue. It almost seemed… unearthly. It almost seemed like it wanted to die, that is, if it did not kill us first.

Even the carefree Kody seemed slightly distressed as he set off silently into the woods.

* * *

><p>"But the way that you reacted so quickly!" Jace leapt excitedly for the third time off of his bunk only to tumble down on the ground into the mass of blankets that he had thrown over the edge of his bed. Apparently, he thought he needed to work on some of his 'moves' as he had phrased it.<p>

"If you hadn't charged in, I would have been a nice side dish, Jace," I attempted to reason with Jace's enthusiasm.

"That's what you think, but really, you look more like a main course to me," Jace smiled deviously as I rolled my eyes at his humor. Come to think of it, when he was excited, he reminded me of a small child.

Taking a deep breath, Jace attempted to calm down after catching on the the idea that I was not finding him as amusing as he was finding himself, thankfully. I had started wondering what Kody had managed to slip into his food at dinner.

"I wonder what we're going to do tomorrow..." Jace trailed off managing to relax into more of an age appropriate age level.

Just shrugging, I relaxed into the chair that was opposite the beds in the small room as Jace hopped on to his bed in an anxious sit.

With a smile, I turned to him. Despite the mild irritation that he had cause me, I was glad that I could make him happy. Jace needed that. "Our trial ended today," I beamed up at him as Jace's expression went from calm to ecstatic and back in three seconds flat.

"Which means we get to keep the room," Jace beamed radiantly. If he had been smiling any wider, he would have blown up, no question.

"Good thing too," I jumped into his thoughts. "'Cause I wasn't about to jump up and clean the room before we left tomorrow."

With a distant chuckle, Jace agreed, lying back in his bed. "I just can't believe that we made it."

Maeve had seemed exceptionally pleased at our report. Apparently running into rogues like that was not an uncommon thing, but for our first one, she thought we performed well. Well, either us or Kody who was constantly toying with new jokes around her, like they had been old friends. For all we knew, they might have. Maeve did seem off, though. I made a mental note to watch her more closely during the next few days.

"Hm..." Jace stared off at the ceiling, clearly enjoying a daydream. Taking the spot on my bed, I closed my eyes prepared to sleep off a days work when Jace spoke up excitedly.

"That means we get to choose our team name!" he shouted loud enough that I was sure that the guild master could have heard us.

"Okay," I replied, trying to force my idea of sleep upon him.

"So... Names... Any ideas?"

"Sleep?"

"...Funny, Phoenix," I imagined Jace shooting me a dubious glance as he took to humming out the syllables of different words.

"Well, what about Team Fountain?" I suggested throwing him the first thing that popped into my mind.

"Hmmm..." Jace mused clearly not entirely satisfied with the name.

"Team Delta?" I inquired taking a liking to the name.

"No..." He trailed off thoughtfully.

"Feather?"

"Feather?" he repeated clearly running through his head scenarios where we were team feather. A rather disturbing one coming to my mind, I just continued listing other names. 'Team Feather' was definitely out.

"Team Ninja?" I offered leaving something to be desired.

With a snort he dismissed the idea. I had not been all that fond of that idea myself.

"Clock?" I began listing contents of the room. "Window, blanket, red shoe..." I began listing things listlessly. Jace was not listening to anything I was saying anyway.

"Wait what?" Jace popped up into a sit, I had caught his attention.

"Erm... Red shoe?" I replied unsure of what he had liked in what I said given the fact that all of the things that I had said reminded me of nothing but the disaster state of the room.

"What about team Renaissance?" he asked, clearly having chosen to over look what I had just mentioned.

"Sure," I smiled inwardly as I allowed myself to close my eyes. Renaissance sounded good enough, and I was too tired to argue anyway. Team Renaissance...


	14. Chapter 14: Training

**Chapter 14: Training**

"Team... Renaissance?" she smiled when she found what we had chosen for our team name. Apparently, Maeve was in a good mood today, if that was even a valid statement given how upbeat and fun she had seemed upon the start of the morning addressing. "I like it. So, you two will be team renaissance."

Glancing over at Jace, I saw how happy he was with himself despite his mild irritation with me for showing up separately from him to the lineup. He had a right to; the name had been his idea with little help from me. I still think that I would have enjoyed team sleep though, that one was a keeper.

"Okay, since it's your first week here, I'll give you the basic rundown for the week. Normally, schedules would be posted in between the bulletin boards, but as you're new..." Maeve trailed off apparently making a mental note for herself to add our team. "Anyway- your team will be added next week starting in two days time. Until then, your assignment will be to complete some training on the course. I'll ask Ben to run you two through some basic exercises, but I don't expect you to have many issues. Thank You."

Contentedly, Jace and I began to skip to breakfast.

"Oh, one last thing," Maeve added. "Kody said that you two had an exceedingly exceptional performance yesterday," and with that, she returned to her office with a click behind her as she latched the door.

* * *

><p>"So!" Ben announced as we wandered our way to the training field after breakfast. "Our new recruits! Team Renaissance."<p>

"That's us. And you are... Ben?" Jace looked at him cautiously. It had only been a few days before that Riley warned us about him.

"That'd be me!" he laughed a hearty laugh. Ben was a big fellow that looked like he worked out. An Agron. Ben was an Agron. "Ben O' Team Forage. You'll usually see us around that first building over there. We make equipment for you guys most of the time. Little do you guys know we're apprentices ourselves!" Ben surely came on a little strong, but at least he didn't seem impossible. Still, I made a mental note to stay on his good side. Riley seemed to know and hate what that was like.

"So! The Guild Master sent you guys to do some training with me!" his laugh was really starting to scare me.

"Just a few simple exercises," Jace corrected seeming equally disturbed by his ...ah... enthusiasm.

"You two need some exercises!" Ben corrected leaving little room for argument, and so the next thing that we knew we were jumping through hoops trying to beat each other to a crisp on the agility course.

At some point during the day, I started questioning Ben's sanity. "Obstacle course!" Ben would scream to us then, "Joust! Target practice!" Actually, at some point during the day, I started questioning my sanity for listening to him.

"You two can run harder than that!" he chanted one again causing us to throw even more energy into our stride. "Give it your all!"

"We...are..." I panted, slowing when I reached the tires that were impossible for me to run through with four legs and limited coordination. If I thought battle training back at the clan was difficult...

Jace skidding to a halt behind me, I heard him collapse in a display of exhaustion.

"Can we have a break!" I nearly shouted by the time that we had run through everything at least three times

"Water... Water...!" Jace grabbed at the air desperately looking for the heavenly liquid.

"You two are a bunch of sissies," Ben growled after tossing a skin full of water at Jace and promptly nailing him in the head with it.

'It's our first day!' I snarled internally as I turned to lap up the water that was in the skin. It was warm, but I could care less, and neither could Jace apparently as he dumped a good half of it over him before even going for a drink. Somehow, I felt like my paws were hindering my ability to drink, but that was not about to stop me.

"Battle Training!" Ben snatched up the skin and paced over to a painted ring on the grass only a few feet from the obstacle course.

"We just spent an hour on the obstacle course, can we have a break? Please?" a soaking Jace sat up and gazed meaningfully at Ben.

Deafly, Ben just began explaining the rules. No knock-outs . No real pain. In essence, this was just a form of tackling each other to the ground and seeing how long it would take for the other to cry mercy. The only interesting part was that the obstacle course was fair game so long as we did not break down the equipment.

On either side of the circle we stood facing our friend, ready to pin the other to the ground. I felt my teeth growing warm as he started the countdown. We would have a minute once he was done. Three. I flexed my forelegs, warming my muscles ready for pouncing. Two. I watched as Jace leaned to his right then his left looking for the best course of taking me down. One. Time stood still as I felt fire burning on my teeth, waiting for the signal. Go!

Jace was the first to move as I dove to the right where I could gain the upper hand on higher ground. A miss. A light whack played on his shoulder.

Shifting his tactics, Jace pulled back. Drawing closer, I observed his movements. Left, Right. He lunged for me fist tight and well placed. I retaliated slipping from his grasp and pinned him to the ground preventing his escape with my burning teeth to his neck. One. Two...Three. As fast as it started, it was over. I had won, but was a formidable opponent. I only hoped that I didn't hurt his pride, but I hardly thought that a problem as the lunch bell rang and we dismissed ourselves in a hurry. Hopefully Ben would be gone by the time we were back.

* * *

><p>The lunch room was quiet when we walked in, the noise barely reaching a low murmur with the small population that occupied it. It appeared as if the few teams that were here were the teams that either got the day off or only had to run a few errands; everyone else was out on call.<p>

"That Ben… he's a piece of work. Isn't he?" Jace laughed through a mouthful of a ham and cheese and lettuce and… well one delicious-looking sandwich.

Nodding my head agreeably, I laughed too. He had good intentions, but I was fairly sure that I had developed a phobia of obstacle courses in the four hours we had been training. I, myself, had managed to snag a few beef kabobs for lunch- a good compensation for the way that we had been running.

With a smile, I met Jace's eyes. The guild wasn't so bad; it was like a new adventure. "I didn't know that this room could get so quiet!" he chuckled, careful not to draw attention to us.

"They're probably just all scared that Ben's gonna come in here and make them run laps," I snorted.

"Knowing Ben, he probably would too," Jace leaned back on the curved bench in a gesture of humor before gulping down the last of the meal with a glass of water.

As eager as we were to come in here and escape the torture of training, I also think that there was some level of excitement that it brought to us. After all, this would determine how well we complete missions to come.

"Seriously, though, Phe," Jace addressed me as I gulped the last of the meat down, "Where did you learn how to fight like that?"

Shifting awkwardly, I tried to come up with a suitable answer. It was a valid question, given how little he knew about my past and how little I knew about his. Still, it set quite an unsettling tone. "I've had lessons," I nodded at Jace curtly. My answer might have left something to be desired, but I was not about to reveal the truth here or now. The one thing that I knew was that the clans were frowned upon in the cities.

Nodding his head, Jace observed his plate.

"So… you ready for some more?" I suggested trying to break what had become a silence. Why hadn't I told him? He would find out eventually.

"Yeah, sure," he glanced up considerably less cheerful than he had been at the beginning of lunch.

* * *

><p>Along the lines of our dull expectation, Ben had not left by the time that we had gotten back and instead had thought up another 'great idea' for training.<p>

"You two kiddies think that you'd get off easy?" he had boomed with an aggressive chuckle that made my skin crawl at the concept of his training.

"No," I muttered under my breath to this statement. Jace, however seemed set on training his heart out -even venturing so far as to ask Ben to work with him individually.

"Give me your best punch!" he would order to Jace who had been working with him while I half-heartedly pumped my way through the obstacle course that I had learned by heart.

"Is that all you have?" he would snort with each impact, until finally, Jace got frustrated and followed up his punch with a roundhouse kick to the chest and knocked him over.

Stony silence followed the boom that signaled the falling of Ben. It was a silence of anticipation. Neither Jace nor I knew what to expect from this.

With Ben rising to his feet slowly, I tensed my hind legs, ready to offer my assistance should something happen, but he just stood there, staring Jace down. That was until, he chuckled.

"You got some spunk Jace! I'll give you that!" he just praised him and went back to work, this time focusing on just his physical moves in general. That is, until he decided for another battle and called me over.

The rules were the same; whole field was free game. _Three. Two. One._ Before I knew what was happening, the battle had begun, and Jace had made the first move, a punch that nailed me in the chest, knocking me back.

Stunned, I glanced back at my attacker, who had started charging. I timed his impact. _Three. Two. _I ducked as his feet met my stomach and spun around him, my tails wrapping around his legs and jumped making his impact hard as I forced my paws to make contact with his back. Allowing a fire to well in the back of my throat, I put him face down on the ground.

Turning over, he saw the attack, and wide eyed, rolled out of the way barely missing the burn that the ground received instead. A kick. A punch and Jace had me recoiling backing up into a tree.

I paused, then ducked below a well aimed kick that barely missed my head and heard the thud that rebounded into the ground as Jace's foot made contact with the tree, and then I lunged throwing Jace back onto the ground placing my claws roughly on his neck like Jonathon had to my mother. _One. Two. Three._

I paused as Ben called game looking into the eyes of my opponent, then withdrew myself as Jace rose to his feet shakily.

"Good game," he offered hoarsely and I nodded in return. My heart was still beating relentlessly, and I shook myself from the memory.

"Why don't we take a break?" Ben suggested tonelessly.

Nodding my head, I stopped my panting and started to walk away.

"Where are you going? Jace asked.

"Just for a walk," I replied without turning back. What had that been?


	15. Chapter 15: Deception

**Chapter 15:**

That night, one could really feel the fall starting to take a hold of the weather as the sun began to set. The wind had picked up sometime after dinner and a cold front had moved in freezing the air and my lungs.

"Good night," we had bid the guild master when she called us aside. I think, by then, it was time for a long rest.

Our room was warm compared to the frigid mountain air that had taken a hold of the guild, numbing the senses, but even then, I couldn't keep myself from shivering. Even when we had migrated to our beds, I shivered; although, it didn't appear as if Jace had any problems falling asleep judging by his rhythmic breathing.

"Jace…" I started, shaking my head with each thought. I did not know if he was awake or not, if he was listening.

"Yeah?" he replied softly, careful not to speak too loudly.

"I'm sorry. I- I just…" I trailed off not really knowing what to say. 'I just' what?

"For what, Phoenix?" Jace whispered with a smile in his tone. He was not naïve. He had known what I meant.

I never did take the time to reply, and he never did pry. We just lay in silence, almost in absorption of the weight that could be felt.

Finally, it was Jace's voice that broke through the night. "You know, Phoenix, you never did tell me how you learned to fight like that."

Silence followed the question and then I sighed. "My father… back at the clan. He taught me."

Picturing Jace's look of disgust, I exhaled. Instead, when Jace spoke up, however, it was only curiosity that I heard. "Is that where your family is?" was what he asked, but the question just slipped right over me.

"No," I looked unseeingly through the darkness. "Not anymore."

I could almost see him nodding his head above me. "My mother's dead," he smiled weakly. That was the last thing he said before he fell asleep.

The night was harsh that night, but eventually, sleep claimed me as well, and I drifted into an uneasy rest.

* * *

><p><em>The night was empty when I rose from the bedding that I had laid down. Tonight was the night of the full moon, but I would not be headed to the conference tonight. No. Tonight, I had a much more deliberate purpose. <em>

_Drawing myself away from the hit that I had kept myself, I breathed in the scent of the forest. This was home: loyalty, familiarity, trust, but sometimes trust had to be deceived. Or rather- there were always those that the broke the trust of the other. That was my purpose tonight: to set the record straight. It was justice. That was all it was. _

_Walking past the sentry, I nodded my head curtly. Before the end of the night, retribution would return to the tribe. I was who I always wanted to be. This... Infidelity would not hinder my ability nor would it stop what was to come. They would pay for what they had done to me. _

_The night cold and crisp, I glanced up at the moon that had decided to light my path, and the absence of stars behind the clouds. A storm was rolling in. _

_The rain first fell as I paced into the clearing that I knew that they would be at. My teeth itched for a battle. For a death. _

_'No.'_

_'Yes.'_

_"He's not here...?" I smirked at the question._

_"Something's probably keeping him," she answered._

_'No, he would not be coming tonight.'_

_'Stop.' _

_"Hi Daddy!" She smiled up at me before a look of horror struck her, and it was over._

_'No!' I screamed as the scene unfolded. _

_My teeth had closed in around her windpipe, and as she fell, my paw crushed her. The blood of their deceit blanketed my muzzle._

_"Jonathon," my mother whispered to no one._

_Horrified, I froze. This was not me._

_"Ceira!" I heard my scream rebound off my ears._

_The sweet sound of her dead body hitting the floor, we gazed at each other. I could not tell if it was shock or smug satisfaction that crossed my face. That had been my sister._

_'But it hadn't,' a toneless voice swept over me. _

_'No.'_

_"Jonathon!" she screamed, but still I could taste the wretched blood on my lips._

_'The retribution that was will arrive.'_

_The storm started. _

_"Jonathon!" she screamed once again as I lunged for the oldest- myself. "Stop! Please!"_

_"No! Please!" she screamed once again as blood dripped from my muzzle. "Phoenix! Run!" and so, I did. I watched myself run as she lunged. Lighting crashed once more as they escaped, strangely enough: that one moment when I stood there, I felt no emotion. This body was not me._

_'Is that what you want?' a voice echoed in my ear as I became myself once again. 'You're no murderer, Phoenix.'_

* * *

><p>Peeling my eyes open, shakily, I drew myself away from my bed and cracked open the door, careful not to wake him. It was early when I had gotten up, the sun had only just inched its way above the horizon. The bells hadn't rung yet like they would once the clock struck seven, and I was alone.<p>

Listening carefully, I closed my eyes. One could hear the soft chirping of the birds at this hour signaling the alarm to get up, and the gentle trickle of the water just beyond the wall. The sounds all seemed so familiar, so… normal. Only, when I opened my eyes half-expecting to see the woods that I had grown up in, I saw the guild. With a numb glance I just stepped forward from the door and began to walk the perimeter of the abandoned grounds. I knew my steps were silent, but they seemed to echo into the woods. Actually, everything seemed to echo into the empty morning the way that a despondent scream would echo off the walls of a canyon in its fruitless attempts to get out. Even the memory of my dream echoed into the woods. I had been Jonathon.

This whole place suggested hints of my old life just at the gates waiting to enter, but that was how everything was nowadays. But the truth was: I was both scared of and reliant on my old life. Nothing could have a straight answer it seemed.

_Bong. _The echo of the clock tower pierced into the silence of my memories as it woke the guild for another day. Plastering a smile to my face, I say contemplating making my way to the guild house. _'Today would be just another day,'_ I told myself as the second bell sounded off the silence of the grounds. And that was all it would ever be.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

**As finals and state evaluations are around the corner, I will become more and more busied with studying and tests, so the odds are that I will not be as able to keep updating as frequently. (Thus this being submitted on a monday.) Still, I will make an effort to keep updating it as often as I can. With any luck, the story will continue to be posted regularly.**

**As always, I really appreciate the reviews that other people give me. I like being given an honest evaluation of my writing, it helps me improve and lets me know what people like and if there is anything that I haven't made obvious enough or too obvious or whatever someone might see.**

**Thanks for reading. I really appreciate it.**

**-Flubby48**


	16. Chapter 16: The Quarry

**Chapter 16: The Quarry**

I closed my eyes through the morning announcements. Honestly, I was not quite sure what to do. I couldn't let anything get the best of me. It never had before. Not when my mom would punish me for hurting my sister. Not when my sister and I would fight- it was only natural after all. I would cuff her ear, and she would cuff mine.

"Phoenix!" Jace cut into my thoughts, chasing away all traces of my sister. "Come on," we have a long day ahead of us."

He was right of course; Maeve had assigned us one more practice mission before we would be put on the schedule. Apparently we had done a fantastic job yesterday and she wanted to evaluate us once more. Somehow, I was doubtful that that was her reasoning, but I was not about to ask. I was perfectly contented in the dark for once.

"Fiiinnneeeee," I repented pretending to add some thought into my response. I was not exactly in the mood for arguing, but I could pretend to have fun. After all, we did not have to kill ourselves in training today.

The square was empty once again as we paced in from the guild path, the fountain just trickling as always in the middle of the square, much like the first time that I had been to this place. It was funny, but that felt like that was such a long time ago. Maybe it was.

* * *

><p>"Seriously, you'd think a Saturday would be busier in this place." Jace rolled his eyes as I rummaged around in the pack for something, choosing to ignore my childish urge to play in the water.<p>

Solemnly, I gazed into his eyes looking for any hint of joking. "Don't jinx us," I chastised not allowing any smile to creep into my voice.

With a laugh, Jace shook his head at my obtained hatred of crowds while I completed my search empty handed- pawed. Whatever. "We need money."

"Okay," Jace nodded, "what else do we need?"

"Food and first aid," I started listing off items with a beat of my paw against the ground after each one.

"Guess we need to go to the bank then," he declared as he lead the way across the square to a small building that was sturdy and stood close to the ground, made out of what looked like steel and concrete- a solid mix.

"Hello?" Jace leaned over the counter of the small building that looked like it could not have been for anything more than a shop than anything- nothing like the banks that we had learned that the cities had in the tribe- then again, I had learned that the tribe was not a very reliable source on the world outside. "Hm… they're usually, here this time of the day," he glanced at me slightly disappointed. We could not head out until we stocked up.

"Well, maybe they're just…"

"Hello?" A rough, high voice echoed off the tunnel that one could see at the back of the shop followed by a loud bang.

"Oh, come on!" another voice that sounded oddly similar echoed off the walls. "That has been here for how long now?"

"You're in control of this body too, you know!" the first voice rebounded the response back at the other, completely baffling me. The voices were decidedly male, although it was harder to tell if it was an awkwardly deep female voice or a moderately high pitched male voice.

Exchanging a glance with Jace, he just shot me an amused look, leaving me wondering what was so funny. Glancing back at the hole, I waited for some type of oddity to walk out with two heads and five personalities. Much to my unease, I was not all that far off.

"Hey, Jace. May we help you?" the first voice poked its reptilian head out of the hole closely followed by another identical one and a body that connected the two. The second head looked slightly dazed as he drew himself up and placed himself properly next to the other revealing a full grown Zweilous. The way that he said Jace's name gave me the impression that Jace was one of their usual customers.

"Yes, thank you," He nodded to the first head. "I would like to withdraw some money."

Pausing momentarily, he looked curiously at Jace before flipping around to record something in a small booklet that was on a counter on the left side of the hole. "Your balance is fifty dollars."

"I'll just have half," Jace nodded to the two brother-things.

"Okay, just one sec…" he nodded pacing to the front counter once again to give us our money.

"Thanks," Jace nodded as he took the money. "Will you tell Izzy I said hi?"

"Sure," the first head smiled before turning back to the tunnel for what looked like it would end in a scrap with his brother.

"That was Dom and Don- Brothers about our age," Jace enlightened my confused looks. "They run the bank in place of their father. They and their kid sister."

Shrugging, I tried not to look too disturbed at how badly Dom and Don got along despite sharing a body. That was not something that I would have wanted to see, thankfully, I did not have to think about it as we walked up to the second shop that had been set up on the side of the road just outside the square. There were baskets of all types off foods and a few other amenities that littered the ground around her cart that looked like it was used to hold profits and ring up items.

"May I help you?" one of the shop owners addressed Jace with an older voice and complexion. All scales on her had faded grey across her skin that shone youthfully despite her old age. There was still a glimmer of mischief in her eye that told me that I would have to watch the money that we had just gotten.

"Ah, no," he just shook his head, trying not to be too stunned at her sudden arrival, not having seen her walk up. "I'm just grabbing a few things."

"Just tell me when you're ready to ring up," she smiled down on her customer before she strolled over to me, who had begun occupying myself with browsing a basket of fruits. "Hello, I'm Lucile, is there anything that I can help you with?" the old Kangaskhan addressed me pleasantly.

"Not at the moment thank you," I smiled back at her. There was something about the way that she held herself that reminded me of the guild master: wise, friendly.

"This'll be it," Jace placed the items on the counter: two apples (a travel favorite), a small kit of various bandages, and a tiny book on remedial herbs for emergencies. The whole excursion ended up costing us about Twenty-Four dollars.

"Thanks for coming," she nodded as we walked off, me trying to psyche myself up for the simple mission that we had been given, but one thing was nagging at me. Why had she given us this mission?

* * *

><p>"Hello?" I heard my voice rebound back at me as we approached the stone quarry that we had been sent to start our mission. The ground was a grayish slate that was hurt under my paws and there were huge holders loitering where a small grove of trees could easily grow. It matched Maeve's description of the place exactly.<p>

"Well, this is it," Jace pointed out what I had already inferred.

"Yeah, I got that," I shot Jace a playful smirk that hid my racing heart in anticipation of the mission.

Shrugging, Jace ignored my gesture and started exploring the rocks that were around. This was only a few minutes out of town, but there was no sign of any human civilization anywhere. There was moss growing on the rocks, small undergrowth developing in between the rocks and the ground and small animals and birds that I could hear humming a restless tune not too far off in the trees that surrounded the location. This place was oddly familiar in that regard despite being a completely different place.

"She said that there would be a path," I nodded at my partner who had begun exploring the area with wonder of the location.

Nodding, Jace pointed at the small path that was on here other side of the quarry before returning to navigating toward it.

This was it.

The forest was similar to the one that we had only explored a few days ago. Similar plants, similar trees, and similar wildlife that seemed to appear every now and then to exchange glances with the newcomers before scampering away to what I could only assume would be their homes. We spoke different languages, but in the forest, we were all the same. At least that's what I saw.

"No rogues," Jace observed after some time of silence between the two of us. The birds were still chirping on the area indicating an all clear.

Quietly, I agreed, but I did not say anything. I did not want to leave any room for hesitation or interpretation. I did not want to doubt myself.

'Say something,' a voice inside of me spoke up.

Instead, I just ignored that impulse and listened to the forest, and eventually Jason when he would speak up.

"Back in the cities, they would preach how different the clans were," he sighed into the air. Suddenly, it struck me at how serious he had been all day. "I just wish that they could see how wrong they were."

With a smile, I glanced up a Jace before returning my gaze back down to the paw prints I had been leaving in the mud. For the first time that I had arrived here, I felt as if I had nothing to hide. That was until I promptly paced right into Jace oddly not throwing him off balance.

Looking up at Jace, I saw him tense and ready.

"Phoenix," he snapped as quietly as he could, focusing my attention right on him. "Do you hear that?"

Suspending myself mid stride, I perked my ears at attention until I could hear the slightest noise: Breathing.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

**Thanks to those of you that keep on reading my story. I apprecitate it. :)**


	17. Chapter 17: Hadley

**Chapter 17: Hadley**

'_They should know,' he had argued. 'After all, it was he whom had lost everything to it,'_

_' All in good time' she had argued back. 'They're only children.'_

'_Were we not only children when we started?' he pushed the point. They were her students, she thought he respected that, but then why would it would be so hard just to say no?_

'_We were only children? This threat is more than just about them Alec!' she had snapped at the time. Her past had nearly torn her apart, and she was not about to relive that. If she had the choice. Shaking her head, Maeve just gazed out the window at the grounds that she knew with a new wonder of fear in her stomach. At the time, Alexander had been right, and she had started to correct her error. She only hoped that that she wasn't right._

* * *

><p>His eyes were deeply brown in the shade that we stood in gazing at each other. The breathing had been shallow, the heart weak, but the will strong. He was alive, as were we as we stood in observation of the last thing that we had expected to see.<p>

Drawing around closer, one could see the scars under the caked mud, and there it was: the bang of a gun as his startled eyes drew up from their resting place on my face. Spinning to the right, I narrowly avoided the rock that spun from his cannon that acted as an extension of his arm in defense.

This was no rogue that we had heard; it was too smart for that. It was a Rhyperior.

"Leave!" he shouted in alarm as he shot at my feet, purposely missing their target: my head. "What more!" he shouted looking upon my face with disgust as he shot again, this time hitting his target: my leg, barely missing a major artery. Looking up at him, I saw no recognition, just a memory that had that had boiled and a desperate fear that shadowed his face.

With a yelp, I felt a flash of pain electrocute me into action as the blood welled in my wound and started falling out to my feet.

"Wait!" Jace shouted echoing into the woods over the next shot that missed its target instead imbedding itself into a tree.

"Elena," the disoriented man, gazed at Jason a look of pure shock overtaking his face along with the same look of madness.

"No," he shook his head shaking slightly as he paced into the clearing making himself visible past the shadows.

"I'm sorry," he shook his head, his eyes focusing on Jace instead of looking at the 'Elena' he had recognized. "You look a lot like someone I knew."

"Don't worry about it," Jace paused looking at him long enough to show that it had shaken him. "My name's Jace. And you are?"

"Hadley," he mentioned gruffly before drawing himself into a stand and moving his pistols into their covers. This was the man that had set off the gunshots at the meeting.

"That leg okay?" he glanced to me ignoring the muddied rocks that he had in his face.

Nodding my head stiffly, I flexed my leg. It wouldn't take much to heal; I could wait for the guild. Turning to Jace, I saw him glancing distantly at a tree before making a move to lead back to the guild. Who was Elena?

* * *

><p>"Hadley," was all Maeve said when we walked into the guild as she eyed him walking through the main door. She stood unflinchingly still at the entrance to her office. It almost seemed like she had been expecting him- like an old friend come to visit.<p>

"Think I was dead, did you?" Hadley laughed at her in a less than humorous laugh that sounded wounded, but restricted to happiness. Maeve and Hadley knew each other.

Seriously, she examined him looking for new injuries putting her hands on his shoulders plastering her eyes to the newest scratches that now adorned his arms and face.

"Yeah, I'm alive," Hadley drew attention away from his marks. "You might wanna focus on your apprentices though. Put up a brutal fight getting through to me." He chuckled heartily. His laugh was heavy, not unlike Ben's but it was more settled and not as menacing. I got the sense that he had quite the personality. "That one there took a pretty little rock to the leg," he smiled directing her attention to me. I had had little problems with it since it had gotten shot, but I couldn't say that I wouldn't be happy to remove the bullet. Thankfully, it had been one of his smaller pieces of ammunition from the smaller gun. The other would have hurt more.

With an incredulous glance at Hadley, she instructed us to head to infirmary which apparently was through the door to the right of the guild room which, conveniently, I didn't know.

I couldn't say that getting out that 'little rock' was the most pleasing experience of my life, but at least there was hardly anyone to see me squirm when they put the tweezers into my leg. Disgusting. Not that it hurt badly. I think my brain had already managed to block out any pain from the area, but honestly, when 'Ms. Mindy' finally said 'there we go' I think I might have looked a little too happy. Even if my leg was better.

* * *

><p>With the flame of a small candle flickering in the otherwise small room, one could almost feel the stale air lingering in the cold around the three figures barely illuminated by the small fire. The night was bitter in the autumn wind that conflicted so well with the Summer air that hadn't yet made its leave.<p>

"You know just as well as I do she..." Hadley broke the silence as the tension sparked in the air with each little flitter of the candle illuminating the room differently- wildly.

"Hadley," Maeve snapped. She had been on edge since it had first been sighted.

"Well it's true!" He raised his voice examining the face of Maeve seriously.

"She's as guilty as you or me," Maeve snarled softly, each syllable pronounced sharply enough to cut. "Think, Hadley. Was it not you that was delirious in the woods today? Where would you be…?" She went off, her golden eyes glittering dangerously with each rise and fall of her voice.

Fury boiling in his face, he glared back at Maeve sadistically. "Was it not Elena that died from this...thing? Or what about Cora? People die every day Maeve, but apparently that doesn't make a difference?"

At a loss for words, she just gazed lividly at the man that was her friend examining each distinguished, scarred feature with a new acknowledgement.

"We cannot go about judging people by their past, Hadley, regardless of ours," Alexander finally spoke up flatly in his naturally deep tone. He had his head raised high in authority as he usually would. "It is not their past that defines them unless their past becomes them." There were truths to those words that neither of them seemed to recognize.

Refusing to say anything more, the trio exchanged glances like they would when they had first met. Alexander had been the peace keeper then too- he and Elena. Times had been easier then, but times change. They always would- like the seasons that had started to change themselves.

"So what are we going to do?" Maeve whispered faintly her will crumbling into the fire. Only silence answered her, the question left to linger in the cold.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

**Sorry about the confusion. For those of you that don't remember or haven't read chapter five, Hadley is a Rhyperior. He'll be more prevalent in the next few chapters. **

**~Flubby48**


	18. Chapter 18: The Bushes

**Chapter 18: **

The stone was cold ground was hard on my paws as I crept around the dewy ground that was frozen where I trod. The mornings were becoming cooler with the incoming autumn, and the signs were becoming apparent along with the apparent signs of abandonment the area was clearly displaying.

"Phoenix," Jace spoke up softly needing to feel the presence of another.

"Here," I whispered back to my companion careful to leave my voice uncarried by the wind that danced across my muzzle in a game of cat and mouse. We had only been sent here to track someone down; however, in an unfamiliar terrain, there was always a feeling of foreboding.

Examining the deserted moorland that lay around us, one could see many places for hiding- for attack. Proceeding carefully, we watched each step with careful precision identifying each foothold and crack of a twig as either friendly, or foe. The expanse was clear, but there could be many variables.

Swiveling my ears, I listened for the presence of another with a misplaced curiousness and Jace tight on my haunches on watch for what, at this point, I had started to feel was inevitable: a fight.  
>But the environment was still empty and clear as we traveled farther and farther into the moor. Only the caw of crows and the song of the birds were here to accompany us. We had taken this job from Riley, him assuring us that it would be a good first mission, but being out in the wilderness had started to put me on edge.<p>

Not needing to look back, one could feel Jace's excitement withering my objections. This was our first real mission and it was clear that it was getting to both of us.  
>Then, I stopped, my nose low to the ground. There was a scent. It was faint, two days old at the least, but it was there, and I was getting a bad feeling about where it led.<p>

Shifting direction, I picked up pace, Jace understanding and following accordingly. My ears were pricked to my sides, one facing left and one facing right so that should I not see anything in time, I would hear it. While we had been walking in the moorland, the woods adjacent us had remained unsearched. And that was where our mission would take us.

* * *

><p>"Dismissed," she nodded to the assembly, letting us go without telling us our assignment that morning.<p>

Today was the day of our first real mission, and it was becoming evident by Jace's contagious enthusiasm where he stood on the matter. I could only hope that all the anxious energy wouldn't transfer themselves over to the mission. If they were, we'd both be screwed over. Still, it was somewhat refreshing to see him so happy after a few eventful days.

"Pretty much, what you want to focus on is the type of mission and where it is. The ones that are farther away are usually harder," Riley summed up his brief lesson on missions that I had managed to successfully ignore for the past five minutes. "Oh! And the two different boards differentiate the types of missions. Nothing too hard." and with that, Riley trotted away to help Carly find a suiting job for their team. This was it.

"What about this one?" Jace inquired as he pulled a piece of paper off the wall adressed to be a mission.

"Perfect," I smiled examining the paper.

* * *

><p>"See anything?" I glanced up at Jason who had moved to the point position so that he could see better as my eye sight had left something to be desired. The scent was human, that much was obvious as we continued to follow the strengthening scent that was coated in a thick smell of blood. Woopper? Yes, but there was something funny about how it had fallen and the musky smell that was dimly attached to the smell.<p>

Senses peaked, I drew my attention from the leaves to examine the environment. There wasn't a sign of a struggle, but something wasn't right.

Then, I took note of how quiet the forest had been. Normally teaming with life, it was anything but lively. The birds had gone still leaving the autumn wind to whistle unmasked in the thin mountainous air. Tension sprinkled the air where we stood. It was unsettling to say the least.

Putting each paw down softer as opposed to trudging through the leaves, I nudged Jace causing him to follow suit. It was then that he saw the blood trail that I had been navigating.  
>His swallow was audible through the silence.<p>

'_Stop_,' I paused apprehensively in the clearing where the struggle was obvious. Claw marks adorned the trees, some coated with blood and others imbedded past the soft bark of the pine trees.

"Jace," I strangled out the name in a sudden sense of desperation that came as it dawned on me what had happened. "Jace, come here," I requested trying to keep my voice calm through the thickness the thin mountain air had become.

"Phoenix," he paused at the edge of the bushes with an equally even tone. That was where the blood trail had ended. "Phoenix," he repeated, this time considerably less calm as a serious tone of panic crept past his control. "Phoenix, come here," Jace continued refusing to withdraw his eyes that had become fixed on one place just beyond my sight.

Denying myself the luxury of air for fear what I would smell, I dragged myself to Jace's side and looked over the bush that he had frozen at, only to see something that neither one of us wanted to see.

It was a dead body that lay behind the bushes.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

**Thanks for all the reviews! I love to hear what you guys have to say about my writing, it helps. **

**~Flubby48**


	19. Chapter 19: Abi

**Chapter 19:**

Feeling my legs go numb, I stared, plastered in place. I had seen others dead before around my tribes ground. There were those that had died from starvation and others that were not accustomed to the land, but there was no pity with who ever so happened to collapse dead near the lands. They were left to rot and be picked away at by those that were dense enough to eat them.

This was completely different, though. The body was untouched by other creatures but by the thick bite marks that lined the exposed skin and the muscle that had been torn from her throat as the wound of the final kill. Her eyes were open, dry to the world as if they hadn't had the time to close as she took her last breath. It was a brutal kill, and it was fresh with the scent of blood.

"Abi," I muttered at the sight of her pale body: the body of a young wooper that matched the dark toned description that the anxious mother had given. It had only been two days with her deep brown eyes staring unseeingly at the two of us.

My heart dropped even farther as I looked to see Jace's horrified face that looked like a mix between pity, agony, and anger. He had never seen a dead body before, that much was obvious.

"Jace," I brushed up against him lowering my tail in respect.

He didn't respond.

There was nothing to say. We were alone as a single tear fell onto her body.

* * *

><p>Maeve called the meeting as soon as we got back that evening, gathering the guild's residents and all those with a willing ear to listen, including Abi's mother. Apprentices stood in the guild room in silence.<p>

"It is with our deepest regrets that we condole the loss of Abi who was found this morning in the mountains," she started softly as the mother nodded her head and everyone stood silent.

"The killer has not been identified yet, but we fear that it was the work of the threat," a wave of distress could be felt from the ordered lines we had established, not one daring to speak out in fear or determination. Eyes were closed and heads were bent in respect.

"Please continue with your normal duties, but be certain to keep yourselves safe at all measures. Thank you," Those around were slow to disband as they each nodded their good biddings to Abi's mother that went by the name Mrs. Jennings. We were the last to fall into line with the rest of the guild.

"Phoenix," Maeve addressed us softly just before we exited. "You two may take tomorrow off if you need to. Recover."

All I did to respond was nod my understanding as Jace continued behind me, equally as shaken as I had been. I had to lead him to our dorm room for us to go to bed that night.

I don't think that either of us could sleep.

* * *

><p>The morning came faster than either of us anticipated as the clock chimed its seventh chime into the rising sunlight.<p>

Quietly, we just laid in our beds for a moment before we slipped out of our beds and exchanged glances. Neither one of us had been planning on going to the morning assembly.

"Nice day," I nodded to him as he made our beds. The tension was almost enough to see in the room. "You know, besides the morning."

"Yeah, that pretty much sucks," he agreed with me in a tone that I couldn't distinguish as serious or joking. Discontented, I just pushed myself farther back into the chair across the room just below the window.

Outside, the weather wasn't particularly bad except for the fact that the morning wind had started to pick up. Actually, it seemed wonderful out for the end of fall.

"So..." I just trailed off as I tried to lighten the mood that hadn't changed much from the day before. The only difference that one could tell was that Jace kept on pacing and was more alert than before. It made it feel like he was waiting for something or was expecting something.

What actually broke the silence between the two of us was a knock on the door that caused both us to jump and exchange glances until I finally hopped up and called, "Coming!"

The door swinging open, we could see Carly and Riley that were standing out there eagerly.

"How would you two..." Riley started asking us something that he apparently couldn't get out of his mouth.

"Train with us!" Carly finished his sentence impatiently as she hopped up and down ignorant of the glance that she had gotten from Riley. She was just as enthusiastic as ever with her untamed yellow sparks swirling around with each little shake that she would give. "Is Jace in there?" she asked in her high pitched voice looking around the corner to the room to find Jace standing only a few feet to my left.

Shrugging, Jace just walked past me and out into the open. I observed as he just walked over toward the training equipment ignoring a wave from Riley who seemed to have loosened having asked the question and Carly's mandatory hug that immediately followed his emergence.

Leading the way down the field, I walked to the left of Carly and Riley while Jace tagged along behind seemingly determined to get something done today.

The morning was brisk on my fur as the sun started to rise.

Carly landed the first blow as we emerged into the training field with a tag punch to my shoulder before she took off running away. Waiting just a moment before chasing her, I watched as she grew farther away before darting after her and tackling her to the ground softly.

"Wahhhhh!" she screamed as she ran away from Riley who had just walked up only to be tagged. "Phoenix! He's right behind you!"

Ducking, I dodged his attack only to be hit once more as I examined the grounds for Jace who had taken a place at the punching bags away from the three of us. Briefly, I considered going to talk to him before my thought was cut short by Carly landing in top of me from the monkey bars above me and covering my eyes. She clung on tighter than I thought was possible.

Running around, I just managed to avoid crashing into the obstacle course by Riley's directional calls.

Finally, I managed to throw Carly and tagged her before running away to the safety of the running tunnels. I started laughing with my eyes watering. It was partially because of the sheer joy of playing like nothing mattered, and a part of it was from sheer relief of happiness again, and a part of it was just all the stress finally coming out.

"TAG!" Carly screamed from the punching bags at Jace, "You're it!"

Staring at me, he just tried to figure out what to do with unreadable eyes and a straight face.

For a second, I paused, feeling the tension once again then let loose a mischievous smile, "You gonna try and get us or not?"

A small smile growing across his face, he abandoned his post at the abused punching bags and went to pursue me who had taken off running away like a pup. Stopping, I flipped around and let him crash on top of me only to be tagged once again.

Both exchanging half amused, toothy smiles Jace rolled off of me and we both burst out laughing relieved laughs that were only cut short by Carly's, "Why'd we stop?"

Drawing himself back in, Jace's face showed all his confusion and amusement along with an abandoned sense of discomfort from the night before. Meanwhile, a half smile covered my face.

"I'm it," I nodded at the little girl as she flipped around once again and began to play the game.


	20. Chapter 20: What

**Chapter 20:**

The death never really left everyone's minds over the course of the next few weeks and it showed. Others started returning earlier than usual. Half a room of our guild would jump at the slightest noise out of place only to realize that it had been one of them talking.

While Jace and I may have managed to get past finding the dead body, there was always a thick midst over the town like it had never really past. People were hiding the pain, hiding the fear. From the safe town that this place had once been to this- it had been more than a simple transition.

Of course, there were always the moments that others could slip away into a happier time like a simple game of tag with friends, but they were few and far between, and when they were over they became less and less real with each moment that we would be forced to live under the sober feeling.

And then there were the rumors. While most were fairly harmless given the situation, others would blame the occurrences on the season change, which still had some truth to it; with the fall slowly deteriorating into a long and drawn out winter, the concealing darkness of the nights would get earlier every night dampening the mood even farther.

At one point, someone had shared a suspicion that Jace and I were behind the attacks, but that had been quickly put to rest by most of the guild folk pointing out the lack of logic in the accusation. To the guild's credit, they had managed to remain fairly level headed even as more and more would take root as another attack, but the guild wasn't the only place affected. Going into the town managed to alleviate some of the tension that started building after days in the guild or on missions that would end fruitless after days of exploration, but that wouldn't change the fact that a simple walk around town would leave you with another one of the songs of fearful children haunting your thoughts. That, I think was the worst part. Well, there was that, and then there was the fact that no one seemed to be able to describe what was happening or who was behind the attacks. It was a who. That much we could confirm. Of course, maybe that had become evident with the surplus amounts of blood. Something told me that it wasn't just a bunch of people disappearing on their own accord.

"Ooff," I snorted as I collapsed into a heap just barely missing the table and instead landing on a bench. Jace and I had just arrived back from the third day of finding nothing which meant that it was time to pick a new mission, but progressively over the past few weeks more and more have been ending fruitless all starting with little Abi.

"Guess this one goes to the higher-ups too," Jace sat down with a plate of food enough to fill both of our stomachs. God knew we needed it, but honestly, neither of us had the spirit to endure much more than what we needed to wake up in the morning.

Tossing a small crescent of bread across the table, Jace just managed to take a mouthful of some type of tropical-looking fruit. I started at the bread unhungrily.

Since Abi's death, we had had to forfeit three different missions to the higher ups. Anything that took longer than three days to find was what was going to the guild's graduates according to Maeve, but it hadn't really been taken seriously until just recently.

"Another one?" Jay placed his plate and began eating next to Jace on the circular table.

"Yup, you?" Jace glanced up. He had long since decided that as long as we didn't find a dead body again, there was nothing to worry about. On the other hand, I found all these failures irritating to a new extreme, and it wasn't just the fact that we hadn't been able to finish.

"No, actually," The Mime Jr. trilled in a ghost of happiness. "Today we managed to track down one. Good thing too, we were running out of funds."

"Yeah, but if it hadn't been for that, we would have left that poor Starly to starve," a Happiny skipped up and took her place to my left across her partner with a sarcastic smile plastered on her face. I smirk forced its way onto my face.

"Oh no, Casey. Because we didn't join the guild to rescue pokémon. We're in it to get stinking rich," Jay nodded quite agreeably, his voice taking on the same sarcasm as he shook a small leather bag above his head holding maybe six gold pieces. "Lotta money in rescuing, you know."

"Well," Casey took on a 'perfectly serious' expression that looked like she was just about to crack up, "That's what I've been trying to tell you this whole time, but nooooo. _'We can't just leave them to die, Casey. That would be bad.'_"

"I don't know what you two are talking about," a Skiploom spoke up from in between Jace and Casey having arrived there only a few moments before. "But I'm pretty sure I'm the one that's in it for the money. You two are just my slaves I've forced to work under me."

"And I thought I was the delusional one," the Happiny leaned over and whispered to me just under her breath as the Skiploom stretched out and demanded her slaves rub her feet.

"So, you guys going for another job after dinner too?" I prompted in between a few amused snorts.

"Yeah," Kara sighed contently setting down a glass of orange juice. "We've got training on Wednesday so nothing too hard. Probably just some type of delivery assignment."

"If we can get a delivery mission," Jay interjected. Deliveries were easy, usually just some old used up task that someone was too lazy to do themselves. Recently, though, they've seemed like the safest bet for getting anything done around here.

"Yeah, 'if'," the Skiploom sighed. Then, her voice taking on something noticeably more upbeat, she shook her head. "No, we'll find one."

"Well, what about you guys?" Casey cut in sensing a snide remark coming from Jay's direction. "Going to work on another rescue mission?"

Well, originally, that had been the plan, but Maeve had managed to intercept us on our way in for dinner telling us that we were needed in the planning room tomorrow. They were doing something in there that apparently we were needed for, though the reason managed to escape me. Why they would need two new recruits in a meeting that would most likely be filled with aged explorers and law enforcement?

Shaking my head, I realized that Casey's question still lingered in the air.

"Pretty much," I nodded much to Jace's satisfaction. Maeve also mentioned that no one was supposed to know about the meeting and that she would have to kill us if we told anyone. Or maybe the threat had been of my own device? Regardless of Maeve's warning, neither Jace nor I thought it to be wise to share our invitation with others anyway.

"Well, good luck," she grunted with a tone of exasperation on her voice. No one at the table blamed her; it had been a hard week.

Puffing out an equal amount of air, I just agreed with a, "Yeah," that had been more pronounced by the amount of air I let out than the actual word. Yeah, we were going to need some luck.

"Any advice?" I muttered under my breath before realizing what I was saying and that the people I was asking had no idea what I was talking about.

Excusing herself from the table, Kara just shook her head and gazed at us with her dark brown eyes. "Nothing you don't already know."

"You guys might want to get to bed. It's gonna be another long day tomorrow."

"Good luck tomorrow," I nodded to the trio who had began to make their way out of the dining hall.

"Yeah, you too," Jay smiled from the back of the line-up as Jace and I just exchanged glances and headed to the dormitories.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note:<strong>

**Sorry for the delay, but here it is and hopefully I can get another one up sooner than I did this time.**

**Towards the beginning, I decided to try a writing style that I don't usually use. Tell me what you guys think please :)**

**As always, I love to hear from you guys, especially as the story progresses. **

**~ Flubby48**


	21. Chapter 21: The Meeting

**Chapter 21: The Meeting**

Nine o' clock she said. It was nothing difficult. We attended the morning announcements at seven as was mandatory then had the next two hours off.

Freedom. It was something that the both of us had forgotten, but the sweet taste came with a price.

Freedom. Was the prey not free when it was caught? With each tick of the clock the freedom was edging away into something that was trying to hide itself.

I felt uncertain whether I should feel relieved that Jace and I would manage to avoid another day of chasing the footsteps of someone that couldn't be found or scared of what was to come. By the looks of it, I was leaning toward the latter.

Regardless, at nine we arrived at the back of the campus toward the regal building and waited to be called in by Maeve who had assured us that it was 'standard procedure'. A few moments later, she reemerged through the grand double doors and guided us into the conference room where at least a good twenty others had gathered. In await for our arrival? Doubtful. But with all eyes trained on us as we entered the room, it was becoming hard to ignore the stifled distress that masked their vision.

The appearance of the room wasn't helping. From the outside, the building had appeared to be made of cobblestone much like the other buildings that made up the campus. Unlike those buildings, however, this one was not only made to look like them, but it was also made to serve a purpose that the others could not.

From the outside, it had been quiet. Only now was it apparent how this was so. The perfectly enclosed area was made to muffle noises and prevent escape of them with layers of soft material in the wall and other devises to muffle speech.

Eyeing the crowd, I brushed myself up against Jace to remind myself of another person. He could see the glares as easily as I could. It was off putting, feeling an emotion so strong you couldn't place from people you'd never known. Even if it wasn't directed at you.

Maeve cut in before a word could be exchanged. "Jace, Phoenix. Just describe the scene that you found when you found Abi. Then, you're free to go." The last sentence seemed to be directed more at the observers than anyone else.

"The first thing we noticed were the tracks," I nodded to Jace, careful to make eye contact before forcing myself to gaze into the meeting that had gathered in a wide oval around the center of the room. "At first, they had just been tracks, but the father we got into the forest the more another musty smell mixed into the soil. I don't know how else to describe but it as a hunter stalking prey."

The room was dead silent as I recounted it all with painful clarity. Somehow, saying it aloud made it more real- more horrifying. By the end, the only thing that had kept me from shaking was the steady gaze of onlookers pinning me in place and constant reassurance from a presence to my side.

"That will be all, thank y-"

"Wait," a small mawile that came to about my height spoke up pushing herself to be visible among her comrades. She did not wear a scowl like a few of the more notable others, but instead wore a genuine curiosity. "The blood, could you recognize the musk intertwined?"

"It has been a month Cora. They haver serv-"

"Let them answer the question, Maeve," Cora spoke up level headedly with an intensity in the tone of her voice that left little room for argument.

"No," I replied evenly thinking back to the scene disregarding a glance from Maeve.

Nodding, the woman turned back to a few others and started murmuring just barely quiet enough to keep what they were saying a secret.

"That will be all you two. Thank you." Maeve concluded with a certain tone of finality in her voice before ushering us out. In her rush, the only word that I caught them say was 'death'.

I could tell that Jace heard it too by the way that his body went ridged. But neither of us had time to process it before we were pushed out of the room to finish our day.

* * *

><p><em>Someone once said that silence was a virtue. Something to be cradled, but they were wrong. Silence would kill us all.<em>

* * *

><p><em>'Jace!' I screamed through the fog as I watched him disappear. Once again into the only midst that I couldn't see him through. 'Jason.' This time the word just barely made it past my lips and let it fade as time ticked away on the seconds before he too would be swept away from everything that I had ever known.<em>

* * *

><p>But he wasn't gone. He was sleeping in the bunk above mine where I had left him upon falling asleep.<p>

He too had drifted off most likely in fatigue of the training that we had undergone the day before. It was still dark though. Time hadn't ticked away. He was still there.

Rolling over, I sighed through my teeth at the nightmare. Hopefully that was all that it ever would be, still, with whatever was happening was real. That much anyone would tell you, and others had lost far too much as it was. But I had lost far too much for me to lose him. Jonathon had made sure of that.

Jonathon. Someone that I hadn't thought of for a long time seemed caught in that same dream world that I had just delivered myself from, yet unlike Jace, he was not drawing farther away from me but instead looming closer with each horrifying thought that polluted me.

It was scary knowing that I wasn't even safe in my thoughts.

"Oh, Phoenix," I shook my head and buried it in my pillow with a silent heave. "Shut up and go back to bed."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**It's been a while, but the story is back on track. Please review, I love to hear what you guys think about it especially as we get farther into the story. :)**

**~Flubby48**


	22. Chapter 22: The Emblem

**Chapter 22: Emblem**

The next morning, the chill woke me up before the sun had even risen into view from the window. The dawn was not too far off as was obvious by the morning star that was distantly coming into view in the northeast. The night was still dark, but the light from the stars and waning moon just barely cast shadows on the night illuminating them distinctly in the nearly black and white setting.  
>It wasn't eerie. It was real.<p>

Yawning, I forced myself to roll out of bed; I wasn't going to get anymore sleep tonight anyway. Sleep was hard to come by.

Careful not to wake Jace who was still sleeping on the top bunk, I glanced out the window and into the night. Only, I realized, Jace wasn't there.

I tensed. It hadn't become an unusual thing for me to get up early and head out, but for Jace, it was something new. Forcing myself to relax, the thought crossed me that this campus was safe. No one would get in at this hour. Or out for that matter. Jace was just outside.

Sure enough, poking my head out the door revealed that he was leaning up against the dorm room wall just below the window out front.

"Jace?" I stepped out shutting the door behind me. He didn't so much as flinch.

"She's dead." Jace shook with the same expression that I had only seen on him once before: at the fountain. The night before we came here. The moon had the same effect of shading his face and illuminating his coppery eyes.

"What?" I sank down next to him.

"My mother," Jace met my eyes this time before leaning back against the wall a slightly spiteful tone developing in his voice. "She was killed by this…thing. She died years ago."

All I did in response was stare at the ground. The silence felt fragile, breakable. "My mother was murdered too. Just before I met you."

"I hardly knew my mother, she died when I was three," he just shook his head and looked away into the field. "She apprenticed here too."

I just shook my head and laid it down on my knees suddenly fatigued from a night of nearly no sleep. Was that why Jace had joined the guild? Sighing, I glanced up to see the sun just rising above the horizon leaving a pinkish hue illuminating the indigo sky. The morning star shone clearly visible in the early morning sky.

"Looks like it's dawn," Jace sighed. As if to confirm that he was correct, the bell tower began to toll summoning us all to the guild room for the beginning of the new day.  
>A twisted smile crossed my face in the ghost of a laugh that was restrained just beyond my lips. It was almost funny.<p>

Drawing ourselves to our feet, I glanced fleetingly at Jace with a wave of sympathy welling in my throat.

* * *

><p>"This is just another day," Maeve's voice rang out across the silent guild that was undoubtedly waiting to be dismissed so that they head to the cafeteria for breakfast. "Good luck and dismissed."<p>

"Those just keep getting shorter," Jace sighed with a tone of strung out, mild amusement that was on his tone having transitioned well from earlier when Carly came in to give both of us hugs before the meetings started as was typical for her.

Riley snorted his agreement with a good natured puff of quick air.

"Looks like we got toast today," Carly pointed out skipping to the line and grabbing a plate.

"Carly hates toast," Riley pointed out grabbing a tray behind her and handing the both of us at a tray.

"How is it she's always happy?" I turned to Riley who was right in front of me with the sudden thought.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I think that the food here's pretty good," he responded with an almost off topic answer grabbing an apple from the counter. Something about his tone told me that he hadn't heard my question in the first place.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's the food," I shook my head and turned back to the fruit. Everyone was here in the guild all lining up one by one to help themselves to the food, but still there was always that sense of loneliness that would set in. Glancing out the windows that were on the back wall of the building, one could barely see the sun to the left just barely above the horizon which might have contributed. Especially given the fact that everyone was fresh from sleep.

Yawning myself, I cracked my neck then paced over to another one of the many circular tables that adorned the room and plopped down next to Jace who had beaten me over there. Breakfast was good, once again despite the fact that Carly complained each bite of her slightly burnt toast.

The cafeteria was fairly quiet as was typical of this time of the morning although I could hear a few animated conversations from where I was sitting. Mostly about the weather and how it was rare for it to be clear this long even though we had had a rainstorm only a few weeks prior and how there was a severe lack of bacon on the counter. For the most part, they all avoided harsh topics and tried to remain light. After all, today was a new day.

Still, one managed to capture my attention.

"What do you think all these people were doing here?" a female voice that was not too far off intoned excitedly to another apprentice in a less than quiet whisper.

"I don't know, they must be doing something about it though," another came with an equal tone.

"Yeah, maybe," the other hesitated on her words."I don't know. It's just, how would that work? Last time that didn't work…"

Last time? So they failed to get rid of it? It made sense, but it still came as news to me. Somehow, it just seemed to fit. In some strange round about sort of way, at least.

But then, why would it come back? Was the question that remained. If it had left of its own accord? It just didn't seem to make sense to me, but the farther I dug the more the answer seemed to just be eluding excavation in some distant memory. This was their territory, though- that much was obvious...

"Phe," Jace dug his elbow into my side drawing me out of my thoughts with a start.

Soon it became apparent what was so important though as he gestured to the guild room entrance just barely cutting off a sharp remark from me.

Listening, one could hear muffled yells that were clearly exchanged between Maeve and another one of the female apprentices that sounds somewhat like Casey although the words were not clearly obvious.

Drifting with the crowd that had developed outside Maeve's door, we took our place wedged in between a few others toward the middle.

"But you don't get it! It was blood!" the yell came clearly audible through the wall. Whoever it was seemed considerably distressed as she tried to explain.

"I suggest you slow down and tell us what happened," a patient Maeve intoned making it perfectly clear what she wanted.

"It was smeared outside near the gate, I don't get what's so hard to understand," the remark came out tensely and well pronounced clearly just as irritated as she was scared.

"What blood was it?" this time the response was tight as opposed to steady.

Maeve emerged through the door not too soon after that pushing a wide eyed Casey through the door and following her lead with her arm grasped tightly in Maeve's hand.

The crowd parted quickly to let her pass, people pushing each other out of the way to make room. Maeve glanced briefly in my direction with a firm look plastered on her face before being led away.

Murmurs broke out almost instantaneously some staying to talk with their friends and others following to the gate to see for themselves.

We followed suit, me staying close to Jace who was leading me with his hand pressed up against my upper left arm. A nasty sense was building in my stomach that felt like a mix between nausea and indigestion, I stepped outside the gate to view it, Jace stopped.

It took a moment for it to set in, the sight that I had taken in. The reddish- brown blood stood out well against the light russet brick that it was smeared upon. It was almost dry, as if it had been set just before dawn: the flurry of blood that curved around in two half circles attached to a square on top and a dot where the loop was formed.

"Come to the forest," I repeated the message under my breath feeling the blood of anticipation rush to my hands and feet. It was the first line of the only song that I had ever remembered from the tribe.

'Come, you know what is right, my daughter,' it whispered clearly definable in the voice of my father, Jonathon.

"Don't you see it?" a familiar voice echoed in my ear.

"Jace," I muttered, startled as I turned to my best friend.

"You can read it?" Jace repeated this time a troubled look crossing his eyes drawing me away from my thoughts. He glanced back up at the message inviting me back to the very place that I had fled from. "Phoenix, don't go back. That's not your home."

"Alexander! Someone get Alexander," Maeve's order screamed in my ear as I sank to the floor as, again, all at once memories began rushing into my head.

"Phe? Phoenix?" he asked a tone of panic rising in his voice as I stared unresponsive at the floor as the world of my past threatened to envelop my sight.

"Phoenix!" he yelled through my fog. I trained my eyes on him who was grabbing my shoulder and shaking.

I didn't know what else to do. I ran.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

**Well, the story is starting to pick up speed. It's only going to go faster from here, and things will start making a lot more sense. I'm getting really excited and I've sort of neglected my other story, but as soon as I finish this story, that should change.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**~Flubby48**


	23. Chapter 23: Talking

**Chapter 23: Talking**

Casey had come in a panic. It all happened too quickly. _"Blood! Outside!"_ she screamed in her office. It didn't make sense. What did they want here?

It was there when she came, of course; to stare her in the face? It was foreign, the symbol recorded onto the brick with the blood of a bird.

"Alexander! Someone get Alexander!" Maeve's call rebounded off of the thin woods that separated them from the town.

"Phoenix!" Jace's cry was distinctly audible above the roar of the crowd as more emerged from the gates to view the gruesome scene.

"Apprentices!" Alexander's yell drew everyone silent. "Continue your duties. Stay out of the forest. Nothing has happened. Jay. You and your team will alert the town of what has happened. Return quickly, we cannot compromise the safety of the town as well as the guild. Ensure they stay indoors. Do not raise panic."

The orders were obeyed without question.

"Maeve, I take it we have much to discuss," he nodded patiently at Maeve as the orders were executed.

"You know what that says?"

"I know enough."

* * *

><p>"Damn it, Alexander," Maeve's scream echoed off of the walls of the office and into the guild room clearly anxious. "We're not joking!"<p>

"The apprentices will be safe they won't risk an attack after-"

"You know very well that's not what I'm talking about!" She slammed her hands on the table reeling herself in. "I thought that when they left last time they wouldn't come back. My mistake to think that two of our closest friends were enough."

Her voice seeming enveloped the room as the door shook with her anger.

"Elena and Cora died saving us. We will not make the same mistakes," Alexander replied his tone borderline livid in as even a tone as it was going to get. She had a right to be angry, but to blame all him for this was beyond his limits. Even if she was a friend.

"We haven't yet. At least not the same ones," Maeve agreed coldly regarding his steady tone with a feral glare.

"Maeve-" The warning came with a growl on his voice.

"The crowds are gathering in the hall," Hadley opened the door and stepped in.

"So tell me," Maeve leaned forward without an inkling of tact. "Why did they die, Alexander?"

The room grew silent over Hadley's inquiry and Alexander's interruption. All eyes were trained on him as his light blue eyes radiated back at both Hadley's shock and Maeve's fury. His steadiness had but abandoned his gaze as he stared back struggling to retain his calm demeanor.

* * *

><p>'But why?' I kept asking myself. The only answer that seemed to work was: me. I had lead them here. The tribe. It was the threat. Which meant... Jace's mother.<p>

"I know what you're thinking," Jace's sigh startled me out of my thought forcing me to look up from the forest floor. "But that's just not you, Phe."

"But don't you understand? I'm the reason they're dead." My running had taken us into a darker part of the woods not too far from the campus. "Your mother, Jace... I'm so sorry."

I could feel the tears well in my eyes for the first time since my mother had died. Suddenly, it just seemed so real.

I glanced through to the woodland that shone dappled with the light of the morning sun and dead leaves that still lingered on the ground

"You're no murderer, Phoenix," Jace's vision went to the ground too, clearly stung by his thoughts. Pain registered on his face, and I finally realized how much this also hurt him. Before he had seemed so spiteful, so angry, but now… now he was lost. Only, this time, I didn't know what I could do. Nothing, and for a moment, I felt ashamed for so much more.

Then Abi crossed my mind and it all just sucked me into the same misery I had tried to run from. He hadn't seen my dreams, but it felt like he knew so much more. His mother and everything else, but in a way, we both depended on that. We both came to the guild and that's where we are now.

All I could do was take a deep breath. I wanted to believe him. His words rang true, but that didn't change what I had managed to do to the town... to all those lives I had never managed to realize I was destroying by hiding, but it wasn't only me. It was Jonathon too.

I was tied here, and he was tied to me. Jace and I…

It was that night, the tether finally broke. Jace's jaw tightened his coppery eyes glazing over, "It was you."

My heart dropped, tightening around my past. "Jace-" I strangled out of my throat, stung.

"You ruined my life."

I sat there and took it. I wished he wasn't; I wished his words would come out with the typical joking tone that got me to come here with him in the first place. They didn't, and it was my fault, and I realized, I could fix it all.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**The climax is coming... 0.0 Thanks for everyone that has read my story to this point.**

**~Flubby48**


	24. Chapter 24:Jace

**Chapter 24: Jace**

Dusk had set, that much was clear through the way that the sky was just barely illuminated by the unrisen moon. We had skipped dinner. It had been a long day, although I could see Jace pretending not to eat the extra apple from the bag.

I glanced out the window drawing myself out of the bed that I had been lying in. Jace was asleep. He had been right in his anger.

If nothing else, that was why I had to go.

Pacing to the window, I saw the guild where I had been residing the past season; then, I swung the door open careful to mask the wind that inevitably followed with the opening of the door with my jacket. The door clicking softly behind me, I muttered two last words.

"Goodbye, Jace," and set off to the gate that still lay open waiting for them to close it and snuck out careful to remain out of sight.

The erratic light of the moonless night helped disguise my exit as only one thing shone completely clear in the purple sky as the evening star lingering particularly longer than normal after sunset.

That too would fade soon as well, but for now it remained prominent in the sky.

I offered one last fleeting glance at the guild before heading out into the forest that was silent with the sound emptiness. I knew right where I was heading.

'_Come to the forest_,' the song summoned her. '_To the place where blood was spilt/ to the place that the warrior fell/ to the place that the war was won._'

* * *

><p>How long he had been lying there, Jace wasn't sure. Phoenix wasn't back was all he knew, and the longer it went when she wasn't back, a bad feeling fell deeper into his chest. Slipping his feet out of his bed, he slipped on the same old beat-up pair of shoes that he always wore and stepped out into the night that immediately bombarded him with a gust of wind.<p>

"Phoenix?" The whisper came out sharply past his lips that closed around the words tensely in a display of irritation. His hand twitched down to his side threatening to become a fist as he swung his head back and forth across the grounds searching for his friend.

"Phe!" the whisper came across with a serrated blade that caught a shiver in the wind.

Stalking over to Riley's room, he rapped on the door with the metal knocker.

"Coming," the groggy call was followed by a crash and the door swung open a crack to reveal a sleep-walking Riley. A slight look of surprise crossed his face. "Oh, Jace, what's up?"

"Have you seen Phe?" he asked flatly, the question hinted in his eyes that were shifting gears from somewhere in between anger and nerves.

"Phoenix? No, sorry," Riley rubbed his eyes becoming more awake, "Why is she missing?"

"Oh, thanks, Riley," Jace nodded curtly backing away even more alert. What did that symbol mean?

"Do you need help looking?" Riley's voice mirrored a stress that Jace's lacked but desperately wanted to express.

"No, that's fine. She's around here somewhere."

"Just call if you need it," the door closed. The bad feeling set in, the symbol was a summoning, that much he could recall. A tribal symbol. Phoenix could read it.

"Phe?" he called experimentally this time knowing that there would be no response, and then he took off running. Her icy blue eyes stung his thoughts.

* * *

><p>The knocking on the door came rapidly through the quiet room filling the space with the incessant sound.<p>

Hadley didn't waste time opening the door, and Jace just nodded to Hadley who moved out of the way to let him in.

"Jason," Maeve growled a warning.

"Phe is gone," he jumped straight to the point a level tone on his voice bordering a sound of dread.

"Who-"

"Gone," Maeve interrupted sharply. She glanced at Hadley whose gaze was fixed on her. "What do you mean, gone?"

"I mean Phoenix went on a walk and never came back," Jace spat angrily, a fire sparking in his eyes that echoed that of his mother. "I mean I can't find her."

"Phoenix-?" Alexander asked his voice rising in tone.

"And you searched the grounds?"

"What do you think I'm doing here?" Jace shouted losing his composure completely. "She's NOT HERE!"

"But the gates are locked, h- how-"

"She left," Alexander spoke up a gaze of anger drawing in his appearance to something that caused Maeve to recoil.

"What do you mean she left?" It was Jace's turn for confusion.

"I mean, she's gone, she left," Alexander paused for a moment for him to take it in then turned his full wrath on Maeve forcing his point closer with each step. "Why did you not tell me the new apprentice was named Phoenix?"

"Wha-"

"I mean what I said. _She_ is why this is back. Not _me_. You turn your wrath on me, but for what?"

"You _dare _question that? It was your fault all this had happened before! You killed Elena! You killed Cora! You feign innocence while you were the one that brought this to us!"

"That was you." Jace's voice was lost in his shock.

"If you also recall, Maeve, "venom laced his words and his blue eyes, "it was me that offered to die to get it to stop and they sacrificed themselves to end it. Not. Me. I'm as guilty as you are. Now if you are going to argue while my daughter goes out and sacrifices herself for a war that she didn't start I'm sure that Hadley would be more than happy to humor you," and with that, the door slammed behind him leaving a wake of shock.

"My mother sacrificed herself?" Jace choked on his words recalling his last words to Phoenix before she left.

"She's a tribal too," Maeve muttered spitefully.

"Yeah, kid," Hadley replied placing his hand on Jace's shoulder stiffly. "She was a true hero."

"That means-" Jace cut his thought short faintly muttering her name as a cold chill ran up his spine.

* * *

><p>I stood in the bushes waiting. I could see them standing there in wait few in numbers, although they had made it fairly clear that they were confident where they were. The tribe was here too.<p>

Jonathon was talking to his senior advisor.

I took a deep breath as the wind ruffled my hair one last time as a free soul and dragged myself into the clearing selling her soul to the thing that I had been running from all my life.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

**Ah, the beauty of summer. The story's almost done! I hope to have the last few chapters posted in the next two weeks or so.**

**~Flubby48**


	25. Chapter 25 : Alexander

**Chapter 25: Alexander**

To start, I am not a fool; I am brave and strong. I am. I had to be. I was scared of the tribe and what could happen to me. It was easy to remember everything that had happened from to start, even her guild mates had barely escaped their grasp; although the assaulter had had been hardly anything more than a shadow than anything else. For once, cowardice was something that had saved them. That much I knew, but it just didn't make sense.

Why couldn't they let the town be free? It wasn't right. To hold them in constant fear of a shadowy figure none of them could see. That was the tool of fear.

But there had to be more. I had to be missing something. And would turning myself in really be the smartest idea? It would solve the problem, wouldn't it? Wouldn't it?

A trickle of doubt just managed to slip past my firm tone that echoed into the silent night. I didn't even know if I was right. I could've very well been leading myself into a trap that would be hardly solving the problem, but just be creating a new problem for myself and quite possibly Jace. He was hurt, but that didn't make what he said right.

I recalled his last words to me. _'You ruined my life.' _My jaw set. What I was doing was right. If nothing else, I had more to prove than just that this should stop. Jace knew I was innocent. Or at least, I had to prove to him that it was an accident. If nothing else, I had to make it clear that I was sorry. I'd rather be dead and in standing terms than having lost my friend. The only one that I felt like I could trust since Ciera had died. I had to prove to Jonathon that I was more than just a piece in his master plan, and I had to say I was sorry.

Above all else, I was that if anything else. Jace was right. This was my fault, but I wouldn't be held accountable for doing nothing just when I could. I knew what the threat was. It was my past, the thing that always threatened to consume me. It was the tribe that I had run from. It was my father.

Sighing, I turned to recognize the trees. It looked eerily similar to the night that she had died; the blood that had been split almost looked like it was still there although I was almost positive it was not. Rain would have washed it away; time would have acted as a barrier in between her and me who now could only cover my ears to the sounds of mutilation that rang so clearly in my memory. My mother was gone, though. Nothing would ever change that. What he had done.

That was where I was laying waiting for a death that never came. Where I saw the light leave her eyes. Where the light would most likely leave mine.

If nothing else, I wished for something warm to protect me against the chill of the night against my bare skin. The first winter snow had not come, nor would it this far down the mountain, but instead it left a dewy layer of ice to cover the ground as opposed to the softer underbrush that would cushion my steps. The ground crunched under my feet as I examined the scene that seemed to have held a place in time.

"I have to admit, Phoenix, for a second, I really did think you were a fool," he growled under his breath having heard me approach a smirk hinted cruelly in his tone. "But no, you're not. Are you? After all, you came here."

I took a deep breath and turned to face him a cold chill that could not be contributed to the winter shooting down my spine. Everything in me was telling me to run. Get away. I stood my ground. He had been waiting for me. That much was obvious, and it was quite possible that a few more of his senior officers too had been standing guard waiting for my arrival. It was also clear that I had never been lost to them, but instead under surveillance. At least enough to know where I was. I had been cornered for months without even really knowing it.

Not for the first time in my life, I was prey. I had always been prey, disguised as the predator.

I stood silent, staring at the ground. Partially, it was in protest, but there was another question that begged for an answer. Were these a few of my last breaths? My tongue seemed caught on the question although it echoed loudly in my ears as Jonathon drew himself up and making it seem like there was more than what he said.

"I did."

A wind stirred the evergreen trees muttering in agreement as he continued. "Of course it would have ended the same either way. Fewer deaths this way. Come here, we'll get this over with." His glance changed from sadistic to pained when he turned his vision to fix on me as if it hurt him more.

"Am I to die?" my voice quivered on my words fighting to remain steady.

"I don't know, Phoenix," the reply came softly, gently before turning into a cruel sneer. "That has yet to be seen, now does it?"

"Why would you call me here? Not knowing my fate?"

"Because your _punishment,"_ he spat , "Will be determined."

I fell silent acknowledging his fury that had been contorted in his face and burning in his eyes that were examining the brush as if something were about to jump out of it before fixing them back on me. This time with not only anger, but pain too. More than just pain, though. It was hatred. Fury. "You wouldn't know what you did, would you?"

"I've done nothing," I shook, feeling the forest shift under me.

"And still we stand here," his grin was positively terrifying because under it I could no longer see the person I knew as my father, but someone else. Something else that ran deeper than blood.

"Fath-dad-"

"I am NOT your _father_!"

"Wh-what?" the ground crunched with my step back.

"Your _fate's_ been determined, _Phe_," he laughed under his breath. I felt my stomach flip.

I felt his horn seize my arm roughly just hardly getting the tip close enough to my eye to make a small incision just under it. I muffled a scream in my throat instead resorting to feeling the blood fall down my muzzle like tears.

"Jonathon!" The shout came in a rough bark as I closed my eyes only to shoot them back open. He forced me to the ground.

"I should have known. Come to see your own daughter's funeral?"

"Daughter-?" I spoke up.

"Haven't you already done enough?" Alexander cut me short, the Arcanine staring roughly at him.

"You ruined my life, isn't that enough?"

"Keep asking yourself that, Jonathon," his snarl drew Jonathon speechless for once in his life. "But consider, perhaps, that your crime is greater than mine."

Jonathon's mouth opened, and closed. "No crime is greater than yours."

"You killed your own father for power, Jon. Or perhaps you don't remember anything but the lie you created to cover that up? I went back for the woman I love, and for that reason I'm supposed to be dead. And you were going to kill my daughter for revenge?"

The horn glittered in Jonathon's power dangerously close to my face. It was that which kept me from speaking, from moving. Even to stop the trickle of blood that I could feel staining my face.

"She lied to me," Jonathon closed his eyes, his focus relaxing slightly from its point at my neck.

"But is that Phoenix's fault? Who's to say she even knew?"

"And I suppose you have a solution, like you always did, Alexander?"

"You started this war. You can end it. Put down the horn. We don't need any more deaths," his voice was steady, deep, but there was a flicker in his eyes toward me that told me he saw what I saw.

Jonathon saw it too, because the next moment the blade made contact with my neck the same place that the faded scar was. Alexander froze as I drew a hallow breath. "Where's the power now?"

Alexander didn't respond instead acknowledging me fully for the first time his familiar icy blue eyes somewhere in between an apology, composure, and anger. This was my father.

"That's what I thought," the edge relaxed slightly, although it still remained pointed in my direction.

"Is that what this is all about? Power?" Alexander asked this time his voice had a twinge of unsteadiness through his composure and stiff energy

"You don't know what it is like to watch the person you loved go for your best friend." Alexander cringed slightly at the word 'friend' thankfully unseen by Jonathon. "To have your father in control without an inkling of concern for his son," He glanced away, the blade drawing even farther from my neck.

"Rose-"

"How dare you say her name? You're the reason she's dead!" His voice grew to a yell slashing the dagger-horn back across the air just grazing my hair. Rose- the name of my mother.

"She died at your hand, Jonathon."

"You think I had a choice? She died for her crime-"

"The crime you forced her into-"

"I loved her!" His eyes blazed with a furious pain. His voice grew to a whisper, "And you knew it. I loved her and you took her from me."

Alexander took a step forward only to be stopped by Jonathon's blade flying to my neck. "One more step and I'll do it. It'll be easy. Now, that's not what we want is it?"

His jaw set, but Alexander said nothing instead pinning Jonathon with his burning gaze.

"You've taken everything from me," his voice was low, but intense as if he was trying to stifle angry tears. "Give me one good reason why not."

"You're father loved you, Jonathon."

"You expect me to believe that?" he asked, his words this time betraying his actions as the horn drew once again from my throat and to his side at rapt attention to Alexander.

Sensing the shift in power, Alexander continued. "He told me once that he thought you'd make a good leader when the day came. He followed your every action. He helped you. And you killed him."

"He never even said _'I love you.'_ He would beat me. You call that love?" The question came from Jonathon who, this time, seeming to have forgotten me, paced to the left and back to my side.

"He was trying to help you."

"Lies."

"And now you want to kill your daughter."

"I don't want to kill anyone," he growled staring at Alexander who had found a weak point.

"Then why would you?" Alexander asked.

"Why-?" Jonathon's echo followed. He glanced at me for the first time since Alexander had come. His brown eyes conflicted, angry, but at the same time softening. "You know why. She's not my daughter. Her mother-"

"Is dead. You made sure of that," Alexander shifted forward once more.

"It's the law," his growl returned strengthening in resolve. "Her mother- you took her from me."

"She was never yours," Alexander retaliated his blow.

Jonathon's eyes strengthened in resolve, a fiery light glistening in hatred once again. "No. But she-" he gestured to me, "was."

And with that, his horn flew into the air with a flourish of his neck and made its way to my neck with a flash of bronze. Alexander stepped forward. I closed my eyes with only slight thunk against my skull and a yell of my name.

The end didn't come. Instead, another had entered the battle, when I opened my eyes; a figure was on top of Jonathon, another weapon pressed against his throat.

"You will NOT die," Jace rose too looking slightly shaken.

"Jace!" I choked out gazing on the face that was beaded with sweat having pinned Jonathon. Alexander stood by him, his paw placed heavily on the houndoom's throat keeping Jonathon in place. I rose to my feet.

"Where's the power now?"

Jonathon choked.

"Get your officers and leave. Be thankful I spared your life, and don't get any ideas about coming back," and with that the man that had raised me, killed my mom, threatened my life, scrambled to his feet and backed away without so much as a feeble resistance to the blade. Setting his jaw, he looked at me then spoke up one last time, then met Alexander's eyes. "We're leaving," he addressed the forest and with that he was gone.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine," the reply slipped past my lips shakily spreading into a smile.

His hand drifted to the cut on my face, "Looks like we'll need to patch you up, though." A smile crossed his face, and I laughed moving in for a hug. That was the riolu I knew.

"You two deserve an explanation," he started, glancing in my direction as I pulled away. "But… Not here."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Well that took a while, but it's finally time to wrap it up. Thanks for reading, everyone, especially as the story draws to a close. I really appreciate the readers who have made it this far. **

**~Flubby48**


	26. Chapter 26: Hurt

**Chapter 26: Hurt**

The morning air was stale through the musk of the forest, and eventually the dusty town's roads that were abandoned- as if no one had lived there before. As if no one lived there now.

It was quiet. People were scared. People were hiding, sleeping. Something they could do now. Freely. At least until morning when they could finally wake up and start rebuilding the decay that they had fallen into.

But not yet.

It took longer than I remembered in the dark. Walking back was strange. I was supposed to be dead, but somehow it all turned out alright- as if the present quelled the past and won.

Alexander led the way through the town, the only reason I was alive at the moment, excluding Jace anyway, who was walking alongside me silently. He had stopped the knife that I had put myself in front of.

I opened my mouth then shut it again as we strode onto the guild grounds, shutting the gate behind us quietly and slipping into Maeve's quarters through the guild building. Maeve was gone, although it was fairly evident that she had not simply gone to bed, but instead set off elsewhere.

The wooden door clicked behind us slowly. The darkness was somewhat overwhelming, the room only lit by a candle that seemed to be flickering out after being left all night.

"This will do," the strangely steady voice sighed his hand dropping from the sheath of his sword on his hip. He was resigned, instead of holding his head level letting it sink slightly down although not so far as to be staring at the floor as opposed to letting his eyes gaze at the two of us from over his shoulder.

"Phoenix," the familiar icy blue eyes landed their stare on me. It wasn't a look of anger or curiosity. It was just there.

Jace remained silent, withdrawing himself; although he remained right next to me this time.

This time, instead of the strength that I saw in Alexander in the forest, there was weariness, like he too was crumbling. "Sit." We did not argue.

This man was my father, he had come when the other struggled to kill me. It felt like I was meeting someone new.

"I'm sorry you two got wrapped up in all this. This war has been going on far too long," he paused to examine our faces that were just as dusty and blood-filled as his. "Your father was a horrible man. There are so many things that he did that time cannot erase." I pursed my lips slightly.

"Perhaps it would have been better should I have let it go when he came here last, but when he left we thought it had been enough, but vengeance runs deep. Neither one of us could let it go when he drove me away from the tribe. He did so much for power, for things he wanted… Phoenix, Jace." He nodded to us in a sort of apology.

"Sir," Jace drew his attention cautiously. "My mother… she…"

"Died trying to save us. She died trying to save you. Elena's the reason that we thought that the tribe wouldn't return. Perhaps there had been enough deaths, but when we went to quell it last time they killed Cora, and Elena when we were trying to get away. The sacrifice was enough."

"So… she was a hero? … That's why she's gone." Jace tried not to turn to me. I didn't say anything. His words were forgiven, but that couldn't change the guilt.

"Jace, if you will go fetch Maeve she should be in the strategic hall I presume she has called a gathering? We'll call a town meeting when the sun rises. The threat is gone," an air of confidence returned to his tone that suited him better as Jace pulled himself up and rested his hand on the door.

"But, sir- all those people- there must be something…" I struggled to speak up as Jace paused looking at the two of us hesitantly.

His eyes smiled slightly. "Your mother would have said the same thing," and then they dimmed growing somber. "Their families will be alerted. The threat is gone. We cannot erase the past, we can only learn from it… and move on. The most we can do is help rebuild. Now, Jace if you will…" his words were becoming more and more curt.

And with that, Jace turned the knob and stepped out of the room letting the door close slowly behind him.

"Phoenix." The smile faded from his face, he acknowledged me once again. "I went back for your mother because I loved her. I hope you understand that."

I wasn't quite sure how to respond. So many thoughts just swirled around in my head as more and more seemed to fit together into different puzzles and moments that were all lost. I couldn't be angry, but happiness just seemed so far from all of it. So separated- detached. Somewhere where it could be touched, but not used. Somewhere safe and warm for once. Somewhere angels could tread. Where I could go and be with it once more.

The slightest smile crossed my face.

"Your mother would have been proud, Phoenix," he started again his eyes lighting too, "Her and your sister both." His eyes grew distant once again as the thought of the night took him in, showing its toll on his face with the tired expression. He was worn. Fatigued. "I never expected his vengeance to run that deep…" I, myself, felt all but as his words rang in my ears. Exhaustion hadn't set in yet.

The morning bell's resonating tone echoed through the courtyard signaling the start of another day. It was time to start living again.

"I assume you're tired?" he asked turning to me, most likely having seen me emerge from my thoughts. He too looked as if the night had taken its charge. " Rest-" he pondered it more as an abstract idea than an order. As if it was some dream that fools would offer, a figment of the imagination. "It will have to wait," Alexander continued on the exhale. "We'll explain to Maeve what happened. We will spread the word." He drifted off again, this time in patience.

"Sir-" I spoke up one last time mustering the courage to ask what had been on my mind.. "You- you said you went back for my mother. You said you loved her, but then, why did you leave? Why didn't you just let her to be in the tribe?"

"You have to understand. I was young. I didn't know as much as I do now. I never really understood what leaving really meant."

"But then why did you come back?"

"I did a horrible thing, Phoenix. I left her there, when she needed me most. I should have taken her with me. I went back because I loved her, and I needed her to love me too. She saved my life. I almost regret that, now. I left her, but it does no good to linger," Alexander's eyes grew quiet, less expressive as he closed himself off and reclused from his past once again.

I opened my mouth trying to say something, then shut it again feeling the weight of the room crushing the words. It was so hard to say as I opened my lips again. "Thank you… for saving my life."

Alexander's diverging expression said it all. The smile and the eyes both stared back at me.

"Good morning," Maeve's muffled greeting could be heard through the door to the guild room which grew even stiller. I focused in the noise. Somehow it seemed so normal, so routine. It seemed like everything really was going to work out. "Your daily work today will have to be postponed," the smile could be heard on her tone. "We will be calling a town meeting at noon in the square. I'd like for you all to spread the word around town. Then, take the day off. I fear it's been far too long without some fun."

"Enjoy your day, apprentices," she concluded the morning announcements with a blast of intrigued murmurs following. Almost immediately after, the door to the office opened and Maeve walked through with thoroughly conflicting emotions crossing her face. Jace followed completely overshadowed by her entrance taking to waiting behind Maeve before the opportunity rose for him to slink back over toward me.

"So it's gone then?" She demanded immediately the hint of her smile behind her hardened tone.

"Yes," Alexander responded flatly any sign of our conversation wiped from his face.

"The threat- the tribe?"

"Yes."

"For good, this time? They won't be back?'

"Yes, Maeve. For good this time. They are gone. We drove them away."

Her golden glance shot toward me, then Jace, then back at Alexander.

"Gone?" She repeated this time a light in her eye that was not directed at anyone but herself.

"Yes, Maeve." Alexander broke into a miniscule smile having been slightly amused by Maeve's fury. "It's gone."

"Well then." She drew herself back in clearly trying to remain professional. "I guess we have a lot to talk about."

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

**Ah. Sorry about the delay on that one. I don't really have an excuse except for I was lazy about trying to fit in the last few major plot points. Anyway- here it is! Just a few more chapters to go! Soon we will have the ending :D**

**I hope to post again soon!**

**~Flubby48**


	27. Chapter 27: Phoenix

**Chapter 27: Phoenix**

We told Maeve what happened. It wasn't a short story, apparently she hadn't been told by Alexander why the threat had been there. That was actually the most amusing part. It was enough to keep the two of us awake, but by the time that we got to the town square I don't think that it would have been past either Jace or I to go in and just fall asleep standing up, but we needed to stay awake. At least for now.

The square was crowded with the townsfolk all gathered having been called there previously by the apprentices. It was a particularly sunny day, and the light reflected beautifully off the fountain which could be heard distinctly over the sound of the growing crowd.

Clouds could be seen on the south side of the horizon, but that didn't seem like it was heading toward us, instead flowing with the wind toward a different location. Farther away than they had been only the night before when the wind was prevalent in the streets.

"Jace!" Riley's voice carried over as he pushed his way toward us. "There you are!" He looked pleasantly happy noting both my presence and the presence of Jace who smiled at Riley's arrival half-expecting Carly to come close behind. "We've been looking all over for you, but I guess you don't need our help looking for Phoenix." He gestured to me. "I take it you found her then?"

"More or less," I spoke up throwing a glance at Jace who was focusing all his attention at Riley.

"Good, we were getting worried when we didn't see you at the morning announcements," he nodded. "Where were you anyway?"

"Just in Maeve's office, talking to Alexander," I replied.

"Not in trouble are you?" Riley asked a hint of concern on his mocking tone.

"You wish I was in trouble, don't you?" I smirked.

Riley threw up his hands turning to find Carly who had been off somewhere else.

"Ermmm… by chance have either of you seen Carly?" He changed the subject somewhat sheepishly.

"She's probably with Ben," Jace replied deviously. "You do know how much she loves him."

Riley's face fell into a look of disgust and repulsion. "You're a sick, sick Riolu, Jace."

"What?" Jace asked.

"Right… I should try and find her then…" And with that the Roggenrola slinked away. "The meeting's going to start soon."

"Good luck," I called smiling back at Jace who gave me a look. I shrugged. Knowing Carly, she probably was off with Ben or some other completely intimidating person trying to make friends or host a tea party. Glancing up, I tried to find a place that I could see from as Maeve took the spotlight.

"Attention!" She called as the entire town quieted not needing the incentive of a rifle as they had need only too many times before. "It is time to start rebuilding our way of life. The threat is gone." Clapping and whooping followed. Somehow, it just felt right, even though it might have been a bit cliché.

No 'bang' from Hadley followed even though he was on stage. The town remained quiet enough. There was no mass hysteria. It was calm, for once. The town was right.

"The winter is almost over. Prepare to plant your crops. Trade. We can get on with our lives now." There were murmurs of agreement that resonated all the way around the square, the energy having lifted from concerned to cheerful in five seconds flat. "Thank you for gathering here." She smiled; for once no stress tainted it as she flipped around to talk with Hadley. Some people broke into conversation while others make a mad rush for the streets that lead away from the square and most likely into another part of the town where they could man their shops or take the wood off of their windows.

Jace led the way toward the guild as I dragged my feet behind him. It was turning out to be a surprisingly pleasant day, but for once, rest sounded like the better option.

I woke the next day before the morning bell rang, the sun raising above the horizon just enough to make the clouds pink but leave the sky a mix of indigo and bright yellow.

I stretched feeling better rested than I had in a long time noting that Jace had left the room as I glanced up toward his bunk as I pulled myself out of bed shaking off the sleep behind my eyes.

The door swung open silently as I peered my head around the corner to the room to find Jace propped up against the guild wall as I had found him only two days before. "Jace."

He glanced at me a smile on his eyes as I took a seat to his right.

"You know, I'm sorry about what I said," Jace replied.

"Don't worry about it," I spoke up, turning to him. I was honest. "It's over. You were hurt."

"I am sorry, though," he glanced at me seriously.

The bell rang. Tolling seven times as Jace pulled himself up while I observed the sky. Eventually, I too followed suit and pulled myself to my feet to begin walking to the guild building with Jace.

His hands made contact with my shoulders before I could get my balance from standing up forcing me back on the ground as he backed away a devious smile on his face.

I gave him a look, and the war was on as Jace spun and sprinted away me hot on his trail determined to pelt him with grass and push him over. This was the Jace that I knew.

The morning star was fading in the sky above as we proceeded to play below. Although it would always remain as a remnant of the night, the sun would always rise to quell it.

Daylight streamed over the fence as proof. The light would always be there. Even when it was too dark to see. And that's exactly the way it was supposed to be. For once.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Now for the Epilouge.**


	28. One Year Later

**One Year Later:**

I swung to the right feeling the wind blow through my hair as I saw the rogue charge.

"Jace, take left flank!" I bared my teeth. Jace obeyed as I crunched the leaves under my feet watching the animal charge once again. We had walked in on her eating. Apparently that hadn't been the best time to walk in.

I smiled through the mid-spring air watching as Jace moved in for his slice that startled the rouge away. This was a mission we had was simple. Just map the area for a local exploration.

Life had continued on, after all, and the forest had yet to be explored.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**And with that THE PHOENIX EMBLEM is DONE! I hope you guys liked it. **

**I'd Like to give a huge thanks to:**

**Pure Gamer- Thanks for reading my story. I'm really glad you liked it. I love your writing style, and it's always really nice to know what people think about my story from an author's point of view. I really appreciate that. Thank you.**

**Snivypro18- I really appreciated hearing what you had to say regarding what was happening the the story. It helped me make it more understandable. **

**Thanks to anyone that read my story! I'm going to try to keep my other stories more frequent now. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR STICKING WITH PHOENIX AND JACE THIS LONG!**

**~An extreamely amped Flubby48**


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